


Killer of Gods, Breaker of Hearts

by eerieforest



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst, Attempt at Humor, BAMF Keith (Voltron), BAMF Lance (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gods, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mages, Magic, Mutual Pining, Pining, Romance, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements, Warlocks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:14:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28658541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eerieforest/pseuds/eerieforest
Summary: Keith “Mage of the Year” Kogane has made a name for himself as one of the best mages in the dominion. Many look up to him in awe, and many believe that he has a shot at dismantling the hold the gods have on humanity. Lance McClain, an admirer and underclassman, is a mage in training who gets the opportunity to work with him. However, some say you should never meet your heroes, and Lance starts to understand exactly why when he officially meets Keith for the first time.
Relationships: Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 67





	1. The Hero

**Author's Note:**

> I told myself not to post this until I had written a decent amount of chapters, unfortunately I'm jumping the gun! But thats ok! I'm excited about this, and will try to write this along with my other fic Lost and Found, so far I've been slowly working on both :) Hopefully you guys will enjoy this story! 
> 
> The setting is sort of modern/teensy bit futuristic (ala the show), but in a different fictional world with magic and other supernatural elements like gods and demigods. Mature rating won't come into play right away, but maybe/most likely later, as often the things I write gradually becomes more gloomy and graphic 😬
> 
> Let me know what you think, and have a happy reading!

“I heard Xera flooded a village, just last week. Apparently they had fished too much from her ocean, because their crops did not yield much this year and they were starving. And she just… Pulverized them, with a wave. A bunch of old farmers, fishermen and kids. Over some fish.”

Keith could not help but overhear the conversation from the table next to him in the community centre's cafeteria. He picked at his food half-heartedly. Stale salad. He hated salad. 

“... Does gods really not have hearts? At all?” 

“How can they, when this keeps happening? They were supposed to protect us. That’s what they told us in school anyway,” the young woman answered. 

Keith yawned.  _ So tired...  _ Once again, he had only gotten a few hours of sleep.

“Something has to change. We can’t let them terrorize us forever. They’ll just kill us off when they’re bored... Veher could be next.” the other woman said. 

“I’ve heard things are already changing. Rumours say that the mages are planning something big.”

“Really? Oh my god, I bet Kogane will do something.” 

Keith froze, fork halfway towards his mouth. 

“Definitely. Do you remember the tournament last year?”

“How could I forget?! I get chills every time I think about Keith’s final blow to the mutant.” 

“Me too! That was- Wait… Isn’t that-?” 

Keith instantly felt their gazes on him. He turned his head, and picked up his tray. Lunch was over. He put his tray on the counter, and set his sight on the exit. Once he started feeling a few eyes on him, suddenly it was like the whole room was staring at the back of his head. 

He was almost out, when a familiar face walked through the door. 

“Keith? Did you already eat?” Shiro asked. 

Keith slowed his pace.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry, but is it okay if I just go back to the academy? As much as I’d absolutely love to sit in a meeting with Coran for hours talking about… Slime and… Vintage music, I just…” 

He paused, trying to come up with a better excuse than “I’m tired” or “I’m bored”. 

Shiro sighed, and crossed his arms.

Here it comes. 

“Fine. But Keith, this is business. You gotta sit through things like these. It’s part of being a mage. Especially mage of the year.” 

Keith scoffed. “That was last year.” 

“It’s a title that stays with you for years to come. People expect great things of you, and I know it’s frustrating, but it’s the downsides to having the powers you possess.” 

“I’m not even that fucking good, you’re just as good as me anyway, I don’t why people are making me into some  _ icon. _ I didn’t ask for this.” 

By now, Keith swore people were noticing him. Eyes wide open, mouth agape looking like a bunch of fucking goldfishes. _ Ooooh it’s Kogane!  _ The fucking lord and saviour himself. 

He started walking. 

“I’ll see you later,” he said shortly, and left the cafeteria. 

Once he was out in fresh air, he tried to calm himself down. Throwing tantrums wouldn’t do any good, as it would “taint the academy’s image” or whatever. More so taint the fake, glorified image a bunch of strangers had of him. 

The streets of Veher were busy, and Keith plowed through it to the nearest subway entrance. He could’ve walked as the academy wasn’t too far away, but honestly, he liked the darkness and grit of the subway. Everyone was there for the same purpose. Even chatting up “famous mages” was considered bad etiquette on the subway. He could just stare through the window at dark walls, occasionally watching neon lights pass by, until he reached his destination. 

It was just such an ordinary thing to do. And on Keith’s off-days, he wanted nothing more than ordinary. 

Work was way too fucking weird enough. 

* * *

“Put your whole body into it! Feel it coursing through your body like it’s  _ inside _ of you!” Romelle said.

Lance snorted, Hunk and Pidge immediately joining it. 

Romelle sighed. “Take this seriously guys!” 

“We’ve tried for days,” Pidge complained. Her hand was shaking as she stretched it out. 

“It’s all about the climax, Pidge. The big boom. The eruption. The-”

“Ejacula-”

“Lance, I swear to Terra, if you finish that sentence. I’m kicking you out,” Romelle said, sternly. 

Lance mimicked zipping his mouth shut. That  _ would _ suck. As much as Romelle’s euphemisms deserved mockery, he better stay on her good side. 

Romelle clapped her hands. “Okay. Let’s try again. Get a good stance. Stand firmly.” 

They followed her instructions. 

“Close your eyes, surrender to the darkness. Do not think of anything except the power you’re harboring. You all know it’s there. Simply conjure it.” 

Lance frowned. Simply conjure it? If he wanted to simply conjure it he’d make some god damn runes. They did the job perfectly. 

The room fell silent as they concentrated. Lance was growing more and more impatient, until he felt a surge of energy on his left. Then his right. 

He opened his eyes. 

Hunk’s arm was glowing with earthly power. It surged through his veins, illuminating them in a rich green. His mouth was open, eyes bright. 

When Lance turned the other way, he was met with almost an identical sight. Pidge had managed to activate her power too, also shining in earthly colors.

“Holy shit! We did it! Without runes!”

Lance stared at his own hand. His sleeve was rolled up, and below, his naked skin was dull. It wasn’t shining. Not a bucket load of body lotion would make his skin glow like theirs. 

“Well done, guys,” he said, genuinely meaning it, despite the sadness nearly oozing out of him. 

“You’ll get it Lance. You’ve come so far already, and you  always crack the code in the end,” Romelle encouraged. 

“I guess. In the end, after everyone’s progressed far ahead of me…”

Hunk grasped Lance’s shoulder. The energy coming off him smelled like soft soil, roses and parchment. The touch was very calming, relaxing his muscles, no doubt because Hunk wanted it to do so. It seemed as soon as he managed to activate his power, he was in complete control of it. 

So maybe Lance was a little jealous. He could do the same with runes, but imagine just  _ thinking _ about releasing your power and it would just happen. The possibilities and room for improvement would be endless. He had always heard being able to surpass rune casting was what determined who was a good mage. Everybody could cast runes, hell, even untrained mages could cast a wide range of runes. But the amount of mages that could cast spells and release their energy on pure thought? Those were the best in the country.

And again, Hunk and Pidge were already at full-speed ahead, and Lance was late to the party. 

“Maybe earth is just… Easier?” Hunk asked.

“No element is easier than the other,” Lance said. It was the first thing you learned in class. 

“Technically yes. But, how we use them are different and demand different things from us. Maybe unconsciously, we’ve all been leaning towards the earth way of doing things. You as well, despite it not being your element,” Pidge said, her scholarly knowledge ever so prevalent. 

Romelle nodded. “That’s a very good point. I wish I had more knowledge of how to harbor water, so I could guide you better, Lance. Sadly there aren’t many water mages in the academy. But, luckily for us, you’re here and constantly improving!” 

Lance smiled at the praise. At least they were patient with him. 

While Hunk and Pidge tested the range of their abilities, Lance kept trying. But by now, his morale was rock bottom and he knew he was facing a dead end. 

Lance stretched his arms over his head, feeling the strain. 

“I think I’m gonna call it for today,” he said. “I just…”

“A break is good, Lance. It helps.” Hunk looked at him with warm eyes, like he always did. Always supportive. 

“Yeah.” 

Sometimes, breaks were good. Other times, breaks made you lazy and depressed, constantly thinking about quitting magic altogether. 

Lance excused himself, and exited the training room. He walked through the hallway, his footsteps echoing from the sleek, polished floor. He passed classrooms, full of young students in the start of their journey towards becoming full-fledged mages. Lance’s academic classes had only ended last year, but thinking about how passionate he used to be about magic felt like eternities ago. 

Is that why he couldn’t progress? Had he completely lost passion for magic? Maybe… Maybe he was never meant to be a mage. Maybe it was just a stupid childhood dream, and Lance was not a child anymore. 

He clenched his fist as he set course for the dorm rooms. He wasn’t  _ supposed _ to think like this, he had to believe in himself or whatever. His doubt always came out of the blue, at the least convenient of times. 

Lance was ready to get into his room, crawl into bed, hide underneath the covers and maybe just cry a little. Get it out of his system. Maybe that was the water way of doing things, through tears and all. 

He had just reached the stairs, when movement in the corner of his eye made him stop. It was just a passing glance at first, just natural curiosity when a door was ajar. It was probably someone just training on their own.

It shouldn’t have piqued his interest so much.

But then again, the person training wasn’t just… anyone. 

It wasn’t like Lance had never seen him before. He had passed him in the halls. Stood in the same crowds as him during ceremonies. Had coffee a few tables away from him in the academy’s cafe. He could probably count the times he had been in his general vicinity on both hands. Which, with both of them being mages in the academy, wasn’t a lot.

But Lance still remembered every single time he had seen him. 

He wasn’t just  _ some _ student mage. He was Keith “mage of the year” Kogane. And truthfully, Lance could recognize his face everywhere, because he had a poster of him on the wall right above his bed. In only a few years, Keith had become a legend. 

Why?   


Well, for one, he was on the cover of “Mage Weekly”, declared the world’s most promising hotshot, an innovative and passionate breath of fresh air in the traditional Lion Academy. He had won countless school tournaments, eventually leading him to winning the world-wide tournament beyond just the academy, against veterans, other schools and organizations, which earned him the title of “mage of the year”. He had exploded in the media, thanks to all of his accomplishments and, well… 

… Secondly, he was hot as fuck. You look like him  _ and _ you’re an insanely talented mage? 

Boom. Instant popularity. 

Lance could admit he had good looks, sure. He had noticed. He was on his bedroom wall after all.  _ Sure _ , he saw the appeal of his dark shaggy hair, thick brows and intense eyes, and Lance was secure enough about his masculinity to admit when another guy was good-looking.

Well,  _ that _ and the fact that he’s chaotically bisexual, but  _ that’s not the point. _

Point is, Keith had never become the icon he was simply because of looks. It wasn’t even just talent. Tons of mages were talented. But few had what seemed like a natural-born ability to connect with their magic with complete and utter control. Not just control, but manipulation. 

Magic wasn’t something to order around or play with, was one of the first things the professors told you in class. Magic and natural elements were wild and relentless. Being able to connect with it was an honor, and something you had to tread carefully with. 

Keith Kogane on the other hand, literally played with fire. 

Lance had read some pissy articles from old conservative traditionalists criticising Keith for acting so reckless and disrespectfully playing with his magic the way he did, which like - step aside old men, your age is over - but honestly? They had a point. 

Standing in the doorway, watching Keith being one with his element, manipulating the fire coming from his hands and feet into whatever form he wished, Lance definitely understood the accusation of being “reckless” and “playful”. 

Yet, Lance absolutely admired it. It wasn’t disrespectful. If Keith’s element disapproved of his ways, he wouldn’t even be  _ allowed _ to manipulate it, no? Yet, Keith did it with ease. The flames licked at his skin and clothes, and he didn’t even break a sweat. Lance watched Keith’s reflection in the big mirror, his fire creating an ethereal glow in the room. 

_ This is passion, _ Lance thought. 

Keith Kogane doesn’t doubt himself. He has probably never once struggled with activating his magic without runes. It comes naturally to him.

Keith Kogane was not someone desperately hanging onto his magic in a thin thread. 

He was the example, the goal, the pure image of what a perfect mage was. 

And Lance was the exact opposite. 

Lance had stood still, staring deeply into Keith’s reflection, not even aware he was staring so obviously, when Keith’s eyes shifted and landed on Lance through the mirror. 

Lance gasped, and immediately bolted as fast as he could out of there.

* * *

Keith swore he had seen someone. They must have been there, he heard footsteps immediately afterwards. 

_ Ugh, _ curious glances from freshman students. 

It was his own fault, for keeping the door open. It’s not that he didn’t understand their curiosity. Keith was advanced, and they were just starting out with magic. It’s only natural to want to improve. But he did not understand the goddamn obsession everyone had with him. 

He blamed it entirely on the media. They tried shaping him into some sort of hero that would save them from the gods’ terrorizing regime. 

Keith had not fucking asked for it. All he did was apply to magic school. Learn some tricks. Do some sparring. Thinking ahead, trying to get into a stable career. 

That was all. Had he known he had to deal with all of this publicity shit, maybe he would’ve made some different choices.

Then again, would he have known what this power felt like? 

He watched the fire dance in the palm of his hand. Warm, but not hot. Energizing and calming at the same time. Lion Academy was a great academy, and had helped him along the way. But, a lot of his progress he had done on his own, alone in his room. If he had just stayed in the shadows, no one would know his name. No one would approach him on the streets, or want pictures with him and autographs. 

And there would be no expectations of wiping out mutants and monsters, or challenging gods. No expectations of saving the world. 

Keith rubbed his forehead as he took a sip from his water bottle, before packing his gym bag.

His stomach growled. 

Right, his lunch had been short today. In a saving grace, his phone vibrated. Shiro had sent him a message. 

_ “Adam and I are cooking dinner. There’s a plate ready for you.”  _

The academy was a very tall building, and Shiro’s apartment was at the very top. He shared it with Adam, his fiance who was an academy professor. Nearly all teachers and students lived in the building, in either dorm rooms or apartments. Because of this, the mages were called cryptids in the city, as they often spent days holed up in the building. 

“We’re making pasta today,” Shiro said as Keith entered the apartment. The air smelled so nicely, of sauce and garlic. 

Keith sighed as he slumped into a chair by the table. “Awesome, I’m starving.” 

Adam walked into the living room, with a bunch of documents in his hands. 

“Hey. Grading papers?” 

“... Unfortunately, yes. I’m gonna need some motivation,” Adam said, pouring himself a glass of red wine. 

Shiro finished cooking, and they sat down by the dinner table, eating, drinking and chatting for hours until it darkened and the moon was bright and high up in the sky. Keith was feeling mellow from the wine, just enjoying the company. 

“So… There’s an important meeting tomorrow, just so you know,” Shiro said, finishing his glass of wine. 

“Is it, though?” Keith asked, leaning back.

“Yeah. It was what Coran and I talked about today. You gotta show up at Allura’s office, 9 am.”

Keith stretched, and sighed. “Fine. Why is it important?” 

Shiro crossed his arms. “It’s uh… Honestly, I think it’s better just hearing it all from Allura. It’s a task from the government.”

“Is it another security thing? Mutants?” 

Adam and Shiro shared a look. “It’s bigger than that.” 

Keith felt like a block of ice was slowly descending through his throat. Like a grim warning of what to come. 

“We’ll be there, you know. No matter how alone it feels, no matter how much people expect of you, we will always have your back, Keith. And the only reason people look up to you so much, is because they know you are capable. You have to start believing that yourself,” Adam said. 

Keith bit his lip. “... Thanks. I just… Nevermind.” He dragged his hand across his face, thinking of the future. All the talk and gossip he had heard, along with the increased missions he had received lately was not a good sign. 

It meant playtime was over. 

Perhaps somewhere out there Xera was plotting to drown him as well. Perhaps it would be for the best. 

  
  


The next morning, Keith’s alarm rang like a warhorn. It’s piercing shriek sent a chill down his spine. He got up from his bed, standing still in his empty, plain dorm room letting his waking state sink in. After a quick shower and a breakfast consisting of a single cup of instant black coffee, Keith walked out, heading towards Allura’s office. 

Hers was on the ground floor, close to the entrance of the academy. After all, a headmistress had to be easily accessible. 

During the morning hours, the entire academy began to wake up. Eager mages had already woken up hours before, already training and practicing their magic before classes. Some gathered in the kitchens, making a breakfast much more impressive and nourishing than Keith’s. And others, like him, were on their way to a “vague” and “important” meeting that surely could be nothing but bad news. 

Keith checked his phone as the elevator reached the ground floor. Okay, five minutes past nine. A little bit late. Not  _ too  _ bad.

He didn’t bother knocking as he approached the door, after all he was there almost every single day, receiving new missions and work assignments from the headmistress. 

Keith did know it was an important meeting, but he had not expected the number of people inside. They all temporarily looked at Keith as he stepped inside. He saw Allura, Coran, Shiro and Adam along with a number of other professors and teachers, and some people, students he presumed, he had never seen before. Shiro and Adam nodded shortly to Keith, before turning their attention back to Allura. 

“Ah, Keith! We were in the middle of talking about the upcoming mission,” she explained and smiled. 

She  _ smiled, _ but Keith definitely knew she was annoyed he was late. He did not blame her. 

“Sorry I’m late,” he quietly mumbled, and leaned against the wall. 

“As I was saying, we have received a task… Or, perhaps, more of a request for help, by the government. As we know, there has been an increase in several disasters and incidents caused by the gods lately. And it is causing much distress for our nation as a whole. So, the government has asked us to deal with it.” 

The silence after Allura stopped speaking was thick and pressing. When no one else spoke up, Keith decided to. 

“That’s what they said? Deal with it?” Keith asked. 

Allura nodded. “That’s… All they asked. I know it’s a ridiculous request, and it won’t be easy. It may be incomprehensible right now how we would go about this, however, I think we need to take this seriously. The gods are growing more bored and unfazed by the seconds. The next thing we know, Lion Academy will be struck down in a meteor shower.” 

Yes, she was right, the world was under constant threat and it was horrible and frightening, and  _ blah blah blah _ , but dealing with it?

“What are we supposed to do? We, mere mortals, make contact with the actual  _ gods  _ that are  _ centuries  _ old and could wipe us out in the blink of an eye, and either A, give them a talking to, or B, somehow try to kill them? Are they fucking stupid-”

“Keith,” Shiro warned. 

“It’s not possible. It literally is not.”

Allura sighed. “I know it seems like it. But we have a duty to at least try. We are the only ones with enough power to stand our ground and protect those who are vulnerable.”

Keith threw his hands up. “We are not gods! We just- we just fuck around with magic, it is nothing compared to the powers they posess!” 

Coran twirled his mustache between his fingers. “Kogane, you know better than anyone that we do not simply “fuck around” with magic. We have the chance of doing something great.  _ You  _ do.” 

He was about to run out of there. The way Coran weighted the word “you”, like Keith was somehow able to do something astounding, something so incredible it might save the human race. 

His throat tightened. “I don’t,” he simply said. 

“Look. We are already making a plan. And I’m not asking for anything except your ears and time. This is not something we will do tomorrow. Maybe… Maybe we’ll never get there. But, we can try, and that is why I have collected the best of our mages here in this room,” Allura said, gesturing to the others. 

Keith quickly looked to the corner, where the three students were bunched up with eyes wider than moons. Why the fuck were some random students here then? 

As if on cue, one of them, a brown-haired, blue eyed guy shakily raised his hand. 

“Yes, Lance?” 

“Uhm… Am I supposed to be here?” He asked, his voice dripping with insecurity. 

Keith almost laughed out loudly, but then he met Shiro’s glare, telepathically telling him not to. 

Allura smiled warmly. “Yes, you are. I have heard such good, promising things about you, Hunk and Pidge. Hopefully your cooperation can help you evolve even more as mages, and also help us.”

“In fact, just yesterday they managed to use magic without runes,” Romelle piped up, sounding incredibly proud. 

The block of ice had officially reached the pit of Keith’s stomach. These were fresh mages who probably literally had just finished their studies. They had used runes until  _ yesterday.  _ They might not be the worst picks out of the entire academy, but thinking that they would somehow help in the impossible fight against some fucking gods was extremely delirious. 

In fact, it was even worse than putting the weight of the world on Keith. Suddenly he started feeling bad for them.

It seemed Keith was not the only one. 

“I agree with the urgency of the situation, but… This could potentially be extremely dangerous. As we know, the gods are not forgiving. Getting knowledge of this could anger them immensely,” Adam said. 

“Perhaps we should leave this to only those of us that are seasoned. Not our young,  irreplaceable students,” Shiro offered. 

“Naturally, this is not something I force any of you to do. And I wish I did not have to ask for help at all. However, if we want change, there are no other options. Hopefully we can utilize the academy in its entirety. And I do believe that is possible if we have a core, and I think the people in this room are the best suited for that,” Allura explained. 

Keith could see in her eyes that she was tired, she had probably stayed up sleepless thinking of this. 

He still did not think this was worth the effort. Sometimes, maybe apathy was necessary. A handful of mages could not perform miracles. 

“I won’t take part of it,” Keith said. “It’s stupidly over-ambitious.” 

He walked for the door. 

“I want to help,” someone behind him said. Keith turned his head, and saw one of the students perked up. She was short and skinny, with round glasses and a head of short hair that went everywhere. 

“Even if it’s dangerous,” Pidge announced. 

Another guy, Hunk, someone tall and big agreed. “I… I want to help too. I know we’re not as experienced as you guys, but… This is important.” 

Only the other guy, Lance, Keith recalled, did not speak up. He was curling in on himself, arms crossed. He knew the limit of his own abilities, and Keith could honestly respect that. 

Some people were not meant to be ambitious.

“That’s noble of you guys. We appreciate it… What do you think, Lance?” Allura asked. 

The room was silent and staring at him, waiting for him to speak up. 

“I…. Uhm…” 

Why was she even pressuring him? It was clear as day that he would not handle the mission. 

“I… I can’t even do magic without runes. I can’t,” he finally said, and immediately started going for the door. He ripped the door open in front of Keith’s face, and Keith stumbled back. As Lance left, Keith caught sight of his face, twisted and terrified. 

The exit was surprising, but the outcome was not. At least he had saved himself from certain death. 

“Oh dear,” Romelle mumbled. 

“Lance has been doubting himself lately,” Hunk explained. “He just needs a boost and then he’d totally be up for the task.” 

“Reality is, this isn’t a task anyone is up for. Am I the only sane person here? This entire mission is a death wish. I get wanting to achieve big things, I get the rush and excitement. But this isn’t the fucking mage tournament,” Keith said. 

“Exactly. This is dangerous, and difficult, and perhaps impossible. Which is why we need anyone capable on this team. And, to be blunt… That’s why we need you, Keith. You are the most promising talent the mage world has seen in a long time. I believe that the undiscovered powers among our students will be our saving grace, and you are just the start. And under  _ your  _ guidance, mages like Pidge and Hunk can evolve and surpass us in the future, and finally make a change.” 

Allura’s icy eyes were staring directly into his. She wouldn’t force any of them, she said… Yet, all Keith could see was her unyielding and dead set on Keith’s role as a part of it. 

Keith could say no, Keith could walk away. If he  _ really  _ wanted to, he could just… Quit. Quit it all. Go somewhere far away, and never think of the gods, Veher or the academy again.

But that would be leaving those kinder than him to a gruesome fate. He saw it in Shiro and Adam’s eyes. They hated this, just as much as him, but they would not even consider leaving this to Allura. No, that’s not who they were. Unlike Keith, they were good people who would go out of their way to help. 

So it would be Keith’s greatest downfall to care for them enough not to leave them behind. 

“Do I even have a choice?” Keith asked, returning to his spot by the wall. 

“You do. All of you do. But you know that this is a bigger issue than just us. And your selflessness will make us go very far.”

Keith did not care about the rest of the world. He did not care if Xera flooded another village, or if Vesuvius rained fire on them from exploding mountains.That did not matter. Keith did not care about living or dying, as long as Shiro and Adam, his  _ only  _ family would be safe. And that made him selfish. 

Allura had it half right. Selflessness could make you go far, but it would only lead to sacrifice. Selfishness however, would be making the decision to end their mission, before it was too late. 

Eventually, the others would see that. 

* * *

That was the icing on the cake on what had become a new low for Lance. He could not progress with his magic, and what makes that even worse? People  _ needing _ him to progress with his magic. He was expected to be on the level with his own teachers, with highly talented mages like god damn Keith Kogane. 

Lance went to hide out in a training room. He was so frustrated with himself. His friends immediately wanted to help out in the mission against the gods, and Lance, who was a coward and incompetent, could not match them. 

On top of that, he made a fool of himself in front of his hero. Who honestly wasn’t quite what Lance expected. He seemed a bit… Cold and brooding? But then again, it was a serious meeting. Lance had always imagined him to be like the typical popular guy or something, someone cocky maybe, but likable. From the interviews he had read and watching Keith in the tournament, Lance thought he seemed so cool and passionate. 

He looked at himself in the wall mirror. He himself seemed to have lost all his passion.

He wanted it back. 

Lance tried to remember what Romelle told him to do. To focus on his magic, to picture it. However, whenever he closed his eyes and focused, he felt so empty. 

Why could he not feel it? He did so clearly when he made runes. 

Lance lifted his finger, and started drawing in the air. He felt the familiar chilly sensation at the tip of his finger, as he drew the rune symbols for a whirlpool. They glowed a vibrant blue as they floated in the air, and Lance finished it off with a circle, before pressing the circled runes with the palm of his hand. 

The magic was released.

A tiny whirlpool was now rotating in his hand, the water particles danced and bubbled around the whirlpool in a mesmerizing show. Lance used his hands to enlarge it, eventually making it the same size as himself. 

It was as big as he could go. If he tried to manipulate it even more, it would spin out of control before exploding and flooding the room. 

Lance had learned that the hard way. Thank god the training rooms had drains and were protected from water damage… 

As Lance watched the whirlpool spin while trying to keep control of it with his hands, he wondered why he could not do it without runes.

Would picturing a specific rune in his mind help? DId he have to try to create the whirlpool itself? Romelle and the others had said that they did not need to. That all he needed to do, was activate his powers, and then he could do whichever spell and rune he wanted. 

But how could he activate his powers without an intention? 

Suddenly, the door was abruptly opened. 

Lance whipped his head to the side, so surprised by the door, that he completely lost control of the whirlpool. 

“Fuck!” he uttered as it spun around the room, increasing in size and intensity. By the time Lance realized what would happen, it was already too late. 

The whirlpool exploded. Lance felt the water rush against him, and he was knocked back and fell flat on his ass. 

He coughed out the water that he had swallowed, and felt the water descend as it was slowly drained. 

He was completely drenched.

When he opened his eyes again, he looked towards the door. 

Keith fucking Kogane was standing there. His hair was wet, sticking to his forehead. His shirt was also wet, sticking to his abs.  _ How unfortunate… UH-  _

“What the fuck,” Keith said, voice low. 

His eyebrows were furrowed, and he was currently looking at Lance like he would kill him. 

Lance opened his mouth to speak. 

“UHM…I… S-Sorry, you surprised me a little bit, and-”

“You lost control of your magic, just because I opened the door?” Keith asked. 

The fact that he spoke so calmly terrified Lance. His voice was like if a glacier could speak.

Lance immediately rose to his feet. “I’m so sorry, I really didn’t mean to, I wasn’t focusing enough-” 

Keith groaned. With a flick of his wrist, his hand started glowing like embers, and he started moving his hand over his clothes, effectively drying them. 

_ … Wow. _

He could use his magic so easily, and for something so simple yet useful. Without a care in the world. 

Once Keith was done, he looked at Lance. He was still smoldering with his eyes, but held up his hand in a gesture. 

“O-Oh, you don’t have to, I mean I did this to myself…”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Yeah, no shit. Do you wanna get dry or no?”

“Uh, ye-yes,” Lance fumbled. 

Keith walked up to him, and briskly started hovering his hand across Lance’s clothes. Lance’s cheeks immediately reddened. Keith Kogane was standing literally right in front of him, nearly touching him, drying his clothes! WHAT?!

“There. I usually train here, that’s why I opened the door. Didn’t know it was occupied,” Keith mumbled, and turned around already on his way out.

“Wait!” Lance yelled out, louder and more desperate than he meant for it to be.

Keith stopped in his tracks. 

“Uh, you can train here. I can’t, really… I’m kind of a lost cause at the moment so… I can go,” Lance explained. 

Keith turned around, crossing his arms. 

Lance nervously laughed. “I don’t know what’s happening to me, I just hit a dead end all of a sudden. And everyone’s moving on, ready to face gods and… I can’t even activate my magic without runes,  _ great, _ hahah. Everyone’s trying to tell me how, and it doesn’t work.”

Keith’s expression turned sour.  _ Oh, god.  _

“Oh man, I’m so sorry for just, like, vomiting words- Uuh, I just uhm… I just think you’re like, super talented, Kei- uh, Mr. Kogane. You do magic so effortlessly, I mean, imagine being so talented like you are, that would be insane! Uhm… M-Maybe, you could give me some pointers?”

Keith quirked an eyebrow. 

“J-Just like, on activating my magic, I mean compared to you I’m… Nothing. Obviously I could never be like you, but…” 

Lance just stopped himself talking, and sighed. “Just uhm… Forget it. Sorry, again.” 

He felt fucking awful. He had humiliated himself in front of Keith twice today. Best thing he could do was just leave, and hope Keith never had to see him again. So he went for the door. 

Except Keith stopped him. He grabbed his arm roughly, keeping him back. 

“I’ll give you one tip,” he said. 

Lance’s ears perked up, and he waited patiently. 

“Since you use elemental magic, think about your element. Better yet, feel it. What does water feel like to you?” Keith asked. 

Lance frowned. “Uhm…”

“It was a rhetorical question. Focusing isn’t enough. Honestly, focusing doesn’t do shit. If your heart isn’t in it, it won’t do anything.”

It was a simple enough statement, but it still confused Lance. But, what was he supposed to do? What were the steps? 

Keith let go of Lance’s arm. His glare was cold, yet Lance could not look away.

“I’ll give you one more piece of advice.”

Lance stared at him with wide eyes. 

“Quit,” Keith said. 

… “What?”

Keith raised his shoulders. “You’re an aspiring mage with no ambition. You can’t control your element properly. You do not have the guts of your fellow students. You have no confidence in your abilities whatsoever. What are you even doing here?”

Keith turned to the mirror, and immediately his hand was enveloped in flames. Lance watched him, stunned, letting the words sink in. 

“Maybe the best thing to do is quit, so the academy stops wasting resources on a failure like you


	2. The Rising Tide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is enraged after the conversation with Keith, and it fuels him with determination to evolve as a mage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new chap new chap new chap, wohoo!
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy and thank you so much for nice feedback! <3

Lance screamed into his pillow. 

_ “Failure like you?!” _

_ WHAT. THE. FUCK! _

After Keith told him that, he started training without even acknowledging Lance’s presence. So Lance left, stomping all the way to his dorm,  _ shocked _ at his audacity. 

Granted, he wasn’t necessarily wrong about the things he said, but a normal fucking person wouldn’t say stuff like that!

Maybe he had hoped for an inspiring “Keep working hard” or “You have to believe in yourself, you can do it!” He had however not expected Keith Kogane to be a  _ dick. _

Okay, yeah, Lance was not a pro at magic, maybe he lacked confidence, but he did have ambition! If he wasn’t ambitious, he wouldn’t have joined the academy in the first place! He wasn’t supposed to just give up. 

Lance turned around, and stared into Keith’s face on the wall. 

He had dreamt about meeting him, in a tournament or ceremony, in a situation where Lance finally could be confident in his skills, and then be on equal ground with Keith. 

From the conversation earlier, Lance felt nothing like his equal at all. Not just in terms of skill, but in terms of basic respect. 

The anger still bubbled within him. At first he felt hurt, hurt that his hero would say something so discouraging to him. It shattered the perfect image Lance had of him. 

And then he realized: Keith is just a guy. A talented one, but still a guy. And behind his talent, was someone stuck-up, egocentric and uncompassionate. 

Lance tore down the poster. 

Well, fuck him. He wanted Lance to quit? 

Nuh-uh. 

Now he would work even harder, and give Keith a run for his money.

* * *

“... So. What do we do?” Hunk asked. The mission squad, now officially named “Operation Deity”, had gathered for another meeting after dinner. 

“That’s a very good question,” Keith mumbled. “Nobody knows, which is why this is useless.” 

“Keith. We are making a plan. We just need people’s input,” Shiro said, already writing things into his notepad. 

“I think this will be a mission that takes time, and the biggest chance of success lies in gradual evolution. So, I thought maybe the professors could start working out technicalities, and perhaps you, Keith, would help Hunk and Pidge use their powers?” Allura asked.

Keith sank together in his seat. “I’m not a teacher.” 

“We know, but all we ask is perhaps trying to transfer some of your methods onto them. You don’t need to teach, just… Guide.”

Keith literally had proved to himself how much of a shit teacher he was earlier that day. He was brutally honest, and perhaps that Lance kid had taken it to heart, but what the fuck was he supposed to do? Sugar-coating things was not part of his nature. 

Keith rubbed his forehead. “Just… Don’t go crying if you do stupid shit and get yelled at.” 

Pidge and Hunk shared a look. “O-kay.” 

“But seriously, what are we aiming for? To use powerful protection magic? To kill a god?” Keith asked. 

Allura swallowed heavily. “Let’s… Be open to several alternatives, alright?” 

_ Great.  _

Keith had to make them into killing machines. No sweat. 

“Just, y’know… Do this,” Keith said, and released an explosion of fire. 

“Uh… We can’t?” Hunk said. 

Keith turned to him. He was standing there, along with Pidge looking like question marks.

“Like, we can’t use fire magic. We use earth,” Pidge said. 

“Right… I mean, the gist of it is the same.” 

Hunk and Pidge both got back into position, stretching their arms out. They concentrated, and soon a rustle of leaves and vines appeared in their hands. But the reach was short, it was magic so gentle it wouldn’t hurt a baby. 

“Too weak. Use more power, reach longer. This isn’t gardening or some shit. You’re using this to harm,” Keith said, crossing his arms. 

“But… I don’t want to harm someone?” Hunk said. 

Keith dragged his hand across his face. “Then why- Ugh… If you want to do this mission, you’ll likely have to harm someone or something. I don’t know if it’s gonna be a god or a mutant or a fucking politician, I don’t know. You just have to.” 

Hunk tried again, but it was still weak. 

“I still can’t…”

_ Holy hell,  _ why was this so hard?

He suddenly got a new-found respect for his teachers through the years. 

Keith tried recalling his own thinking. Did he think at all when using magic? Beyond thinking of its form and use? He usually just did what he felt like. 

And what he felt like was often, annoyed, angry and frustrated. It was his way of unleashing it. 

“Think of someone who hurt you, or something that makes you mad. What do you want to do with them?” Keith asked.

“... Maybe… Tell them how I feel?” 

“Okay. Tell them how you feel through… violence.”

Hunk shook his head. “Oh no, not at all. I couldn’t possibly. I’d want to have a civil discussion.” 

Keith wanted to  _ scream.  _

“Let’s say your civil discussion doesn’t help. Nothing has changed, the person is still an asshole.”

Hunk tapped his chin in thought. “Then… I’d probably try to stay away from them.” 

_ What was this apparently sweeter than saints doing here?! _

Keith sighed impatiently. “WELL THEN. What if a person killed your family in cold blood, and you were forced to look at them every single day as they enjoyed their lives, not regretful at all. Would a civil discussion be enough?!”

Suddenly a burst of energy was released. Not from Hunk, but from behind him. Pidge had sent a cluster of huge, pointy roots towards the wall. They slammed into it, making a nasty crackling sound. Once the roots disappeared, there were cracks in the wall that the room slowly repaired, until the surface was smooth again. 

Keith and Hunk stared at Pidge with wide eyes. She was panting, face scrunched in a grimace. 

“Was that… Good?” she asked.

Keith nodded slowly. “That was… Something.”

He suspected it had not been controlled. It was awfully similar to certain accidents Keith had made through the years, and still did, when he truly let his emotions get the best of him.

“Oh, jeez,” Hunk muttered to himself. “I’ll um, I’ll keep trying.” 

After they had trained for a while, they took a short break. Keith leaned against the wall, impatiently waiting for the others to be done resting, but he knew they probably lacked a lot of energy. 

“Have you talked to Lance?” Hunk asked. 

Pidge shook her head. “Not since this morning. I haven’t seen him since he stormed out.”

Keith did  _ not _ want to hear the conversation, yet the reverb in the room made their voices awfully loud. 

“I knocked on his door earlier. It was locked. He never locks it, I think he’s upset.” 

Pidge raised her shoulders. “Well, yeah, he’s in a pinch with his magic.”

“But he usually talks to us about it.”

“Maybe he’s embarrassed. He shouldn’t be, but he does have a lot of pride.”

“Isn’t it weird how…” Hunk cleared his throat, and spoke in a lower voice. Yet it was still audible to Keith. “Isn’t it weird how he doesn’t want to be on this mission? He’s literally missing out on training with Keith, his hero slash crush slash icon?” 

Keith awkwardly adjusted his stance. They weren’t serious, right? Maybe the guy seemed impressed by his magic or whatever, but he hadn’t seemed like a crazed fan exactly. 

And then Keith told him to quit. 

Maybe Keith was the reason why he was upset. Nah, nah, that would be giving himself too much credit. No one actually listened to what Keith said or took it to heart. And if they did then… That was their own fault.

* * *

_ Focus... _

_ Focus... _

_ Fucking! Focus!  _

Lance opened his eyes. 

Around him the night was quiet, except for bugs chirping and the far-away sounds of cars driving. He had gone outside in hopes that a new setting would help, but his powers were still as dormant as they were inside. 

He sighed, and sank to the ground. The grass was soft underneath his hands. He wished he had found it as easy as Hunk and Pidge… They were so in tune with earth. 

Lance didn’t understand. He  _ always  _ felt connected to water. He loved the ocean, he loved rain. 

Maybe going for a swim would help. But then again, the point was himself conjuring water magic. He wanted to do it properly. 

_ “What does water feel like to you?” _

Keith’s voice was intrusive. Lance did  _ not  _ want to think about him! Maybe his advice had been pure bullshit.  But asshole or not, would he lie? 

He was after all brutally honest… Even if it meant saying rude things. 

Lance needed to stop thinking about it, he had been worshipping a stranger until now and this was the consequence. He felt hurt, over something a dude who barely acknowledged Lance’s presence said.

_ Pathetic. _

A bug landed on Lance’s arm, and he swatted it away. This wasn’t working. He was throwing himself a pity party, while being completely out of his element. 

He needed the ocean. 

The ocean wasn’t very close to the academy, but he decided to jog to the beach. It was late, probably soon midnight, but Lance felt wide awake and he had no responsibilities in the morning. He was on a quest, which meant that time and space did not matter anymore. 

Lance needed to unravel the mess that was his mind, and what better way than to exercise some demons and chill by the ocean? 

He put on his sneakers, sweatpants and a thin shirt. He was already putting his headphones in while on the way out of his dorm, when his path was blocked. 

Hunk, Pidge and none other than Keith Kogane were standing there surprised to see Lance. 

“Hey, bud. Where have you been all day?” Hunk asked. 

His forehead was sweaty, and Pidge was breathing heavily. They had probably been training until now. 

Lance purposefully avoided Keith’s gaze. 

He was afraid he might punch him in the face if he did. 

“Here. Around,” Lance answered, tapping impatiently with his foot. 

Hunk nodded. “Everything, um, good?” 

“Yep.” 

“Okay…”

The atmosphere became awkward and quiet.

“We’ve been training with Keith, it’s been really cool,” Pidge said, trying to break the tension. “You could join us? I bet you’d enjoy it.” She wiggled her eyebrows. 

_ Oh god... _ Lance wanted to throw up. 

He put on a fake smile. “No thanks! I’d rather  _ quit, _ to be honest,” Lance spat, finally staring directly at Keith. 

His eyes widened. The fact that he had the  _ audacity  _ to actually act surprised and innocent.

“Wait, what?” Hunk mumbled. 

Lance had to get out of there. He felt like a pot of boiling water about to overflow. He stepped forward, pressing himself between them and scuffing into Keith’s shoulder on his way. 

“Wait, where are you going?” Hunk asked, worry in his voice. 

“For a run!” Lance answered, already pacing down the hallway. 

“Be careful, okay? It’s late,” Hunk said. 

Lance felt bad talking like that to him and Pidge, but he could not contain himself when Keith was there. How the hell did he go from actually worshipping the guy to hating him in a single day?! 

As soon as Lance was out of the building, he turned on his music to the max volume, and started running. He ran faster and faster, fuelled by the anger that was building within him. 

* * *

“What was that?” Pidge asked, obviously confused. 

“... I don’t know,” Hunk answered, his eyes glassy. “What did we do, does he hate me now?!” 

“He can never hate you, chill. It definitely seems like he has a bad day, though… He normally isn’t like this,” Pidge said, turning to Keith. 

Keith raised his eyebrows. “Oh.” 

“Normally he would probably be fanboying at the sight of you, so something is definitely up. We’re his friends but it’s odd that he’d be rude to you of all people…” 

_ Yikes…  _ Keith could guess exactly why he was rude. It definitely had nothing to do with how Lance had emphasized the word “quit”... 

Apparently he had taken it to heart. 

And apparently he had been a… fan? 

Keith scratched the back of his head. “So… I may have said something to him,” he admitted. 

Hunk and Pidge looked at him with curiosity. 

“We ran into each other earlier today and I gave him some advice.” 

Pidge raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s… Good? Not sure why he wouldn’t appreciate advice coming from you.” 

Keith scrunched his nose. “Well, perhaps it was some unsolicited advice about, um, quitting… I suppose what I said could, _ perhaps, _ be interpreted as an insult to his um, ambition and talent.” 

He awkwardly looked to the floor. 

“In that case, I suppose that explains it,” Hunk said. He placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “You better apologize to him, at some point. No one really gets on Lance’s bad side, but when they do… Oh, man I don’t even want to think about it.” 

_ Okay then. _ That definitely did not help. Keith’s absolute shit ability at communicating with people has caused trouble, and now he had to apologize  _ and  _ fear for his life.  _ Great.  _

* * *

By the time Lance got to the beach, his lungs were burning and he was seeing stars. Maybe he did not need to go that hard… As he came to a halt, he started coughing, and it took a couple of minutes until he had somewhat recovered.    
  
The entire run had just passed in a blur. He had barely watched his surroundings and was entirely running on autopilot. The entire time he had replayed his conversations with Keith in his head like a broken record. 

Honestly, what the fuck was happening… 

How pathetic, being so obsessed over him still after seeing his true colors. 

_ Fuck him. _

Lance was done obsessing. He was done worshipping. He was done being jealous, he was done admiring, and he was done being a doormat. 

It was time for him to rise. 

He walked down the beach, to where the waves met shore. He removed his sneakers and socks, and felt the wet sand underneath his feet.The air was humid but cool, which felt nice against his skin after the intense run. 

Occasionally the waves would spray water on him as it collided with rocks.

He watched the waves move rhythmically. Seamlessly they crashed into one another, making it impossible to determine where each began and ended. Each wave was part of the ocean, a big, intimidating mass of particles. 

_ What does water feel like to you? _

It could be so many things. Flexible, liquid. Even solid. Cold. Boiling. It could be calming, like rain against the pavement, or a small stream in the forest. It could be terrifying, like a devouring, unyielding force of nature in the middle of a storm. It’s what he imagined the sea goddess herself, Xera, to be like. Not gentle like a puddle, but aggressive. Vindictive. Powerful. 

Was she looking at him? Was she the ocean in front of him, thinking he was a fool? 

Nobody liked gods these days, not really. Everyone had an opinion about them. But right there and then, if Xera would lend him her powers, he’d make her a god damn shrine. 

Lance closed his eyes. Xera already had given him powers, he knew. He was a mage after all, able to master the element of water. He had it in him, he reminded himself. 

_ All I need to do is activate it. _

He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the smell of sea. He listened deeply to the waves moving. 

_ Water to him was… like all-encompassing love.  _

He felt the tingle on the tip of his finger, as if begging him to draw runes. 

_ Water was like a surge in his stomach, either a bubbling thrill or abysmal anxiety. _

He felt the cool tingle extend from his fingers, to the rest of his hand.

_ Water was unforgiving. Dangerous. It choked and it pulled, it blinded and it punished. It was a threat not to be trifled with. Water gave birth to life, and would take it away in the same breath.  _

The coldness had now spread all the way up his arm. It had happened so gradually and smoothly, Lance had not even realized what it meant. 

He opened his eyes, and stared at his arm. 

His mouth fell open. 

He could barely see the outline of his actual arm. It was vague, hidden beneath layers or blue. Electric, cobalt, navy and sky blue hues, so vibrant they shone like neon lights in the darkness. It was water, stretching and dancing around his arm as if Lance simply had commanded it to. 

Laughter bubbled out of him. This was nothing like what he had conjured with runes! 

This wasn’t just water.  _ This _ was magic. 

It wasn’t part of the ocean, or a fountain, or a river or lake. 

It was the essence of water itself. 

Lance had done it. He had finally done it, he had activated his magic without drawing a single rune. 

  
  


He had walked back through the front doors of the academy at 5 am. Lance had spent nearly the entire night on the beach, admiring his newfound powers and practicing until the skin on his fingertips was wrinkly and his blood turned cold. 

The minute he had activated his magic, it was like a switch had been turned on. He truly felt like a fish in water, slippery and boneless like the ocean was where he lived. 

He could conjure the spells he already knew with so much ease. All he had to do was to think, commanding himself to conjure a miniature wave from his hand, and he did it! Even icicles! Ice was one of the forms of water magic that Lance had been struggling with, as the consistency of water was so different. Normally the runes he had to draw were intricate, and when he fucked up he had to start all over again. But now… If he wanted a slushy, he could think of a slushy. If he wanted an ice castle, he could build one with his mind.  _ Easy.  _

His smile reached from ear to ear as he took the elevator up. He felt all giddy, like even if he went to bed now his heart would still be racing, keeping him awake. 

This is the breakthrough he had needed. 

He was on his way out of the elevator and towards the dorms, when he heard a deep rumble from his stomach. 

_ Oh.  _

He hadn’t eaten all day! He had been too busy being nervous, depressed, mad and then beyond ecstatic to even think about food. 

Well, as his mother always said, going to bed on an empty stomach was never good, so Lance changed his direction to the kitchen. 

_ Bet she’d be proud of me, right now…  _

He was so far away, but soon he would give her a call. After all, Lance’s happiness and success was what was most important to her, she had told him when Lance left for the academy. 

When Keith had told him to quit, it wasn’t exactly something he had never considered before. Every time things got rough, every time he got stuck or felt lonely, he always thought of giving up and returning to his family. He missed them, but he would also miss this. 

He would miss his friends and he would miss the tall mountains before eventually mounting the peaks, discovering greater powers in himself. 

He couldn’t give up on this, not when he had only started. 

The kitchen was huge, situated right next to the academy’s cafe. While the cafe was a popular location amongst the students, the kitchen was where most made their meals or went to for midnight snacks. 

His stomach was nearly screaming by the time he waltzed in. Did he even have any food? He hadn’t gone grocery shopping for many days. Something sweet would be nice… Like cake or chocolate. Just a lil treat for his hard work. Maybe a cupcake, or cookies…. He visualized it so hard he could nearly smell it. 

Wait… 

It  _ did  _ smell like sweets!

And judging from how the lights were turned on in the kitchen, Lance wasn’t alone. 

“Hunk? Why are you up?” Lance asked, when he saw the familiar shape sitting by the counter. 

Hunk turned around, revealing a plate of freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies. 

“Lance! Where have you been?!” 

He scratched the back of his head. “Oh, you know. The beach.”

“Until dawn?! Are you aware of how crime is on the rise in this city? You remember the teenage boy that was kidnapped a month ago? In the dead of night? You could have been killed!” Hunk’s mouth was full of food as he spoke, making Lance smile. 

Then he pulled Lance into a hug. 

He had worried about him…  _ Good old Hunk.  _

“Hunk, I appreciate you looking out for me, I really do, but I swear I can handle myself. I’m an adult, and a mage. Wanna know why I was gone for so long?” 

“Making out with some shady guy in the alley behind some nightclub? All because you’re frustrated and angry with us, and it’s the only way you know how to cope?” 

“... What?” 

“Tell it to me straight,” Hunk said, and sighed dramatically. 

Lance suppressed a chuckle. 

“Dude, you’ve got it so wrong. Besides, I wasn’t angry with you. I’ll admit, I was in a pissy mood, but it was because of god damn  _ Keith Kogane. _ You guys did nothing wrong,” Lance said. 

Hunk smiled slightly. “He may have admitted to insulting you. I know that’s not what you’d want to hear from him.”

“Never meet your heroes,” Lance said, and picked up a cookie. He bit into it, and the chocolate bits melted on his tongue.  _ Heaven… _

“So… What did you do at the beach?”

Lance smirked. 

“I aftifafed my pofefs,” he said with his mouth full of cookies. 

Hunk raised his eyebrows. “... Say that again?” 

Lance kept chewing, and swallowed it properly. 

“I activated my powers! No runes!” 

Hunk shrieked in glee, and wrapped him in another hug. “No way dude! Congrats!”

Lance smiled widely. “It felt so good!”

“How did you manage to break through?”

Lance scratched the back of his head. “Well, not gonna lie, Keith had given me some actual useful advice earlier… BUT! It did not make up for him being an asshole. Going to the beach and trying to connect with the ocean was my own idea. And then it just kind of… Flowed like a river, y’know?” 

Hunk nodded in understanding. “It doesn’t feel like a struggle once you get it. I get why it’s considered such an important milestone now.” 

He handed Lance another cookie, before putting them into a box and storing them in the cupboard. “Now, the real question is… Will you join the mission?” 

It was hard to determine if the look in Hunk’s eye was pleading or demanding, but Lance definitely sensed a form of responsibility in them. Like it was  _ Lance’s _ responsibility to join them. 

“Even though I can do more stuff now, I’m still not… I don’t know if I’d be cut out for something like that. I’m not a pro.”

“Neither are we! But I think they need all the help they can get. And, I’m gonna be honest, I’ve learned more from training with Keith for one day than I have in three months. This is the key to our success, Lance. Maybe even our freedom, as humans.” 

Lance sighed. “I’m glad you’re evolving, but like… What if I fail? And besides, Keith hates my guts and I hate his. That’s a recipe for disaster.” 

“But imagine if you put that aside, and worked for a greater good. Imagine a life where we don’t have to be constantly terrified of our families’ safety, where the gods don’t wreak havoc out of boredom. And imagine  _ us _ create that change,” Hunk said, voice thick with emotion. 

_ Damn… _ Hunk really thought they would be able to do something. Everyone else, even Keith had seemed skeptical. 

Lance did often fear for his family. Himself did not matter, if he got blown up or hunted for sport, it would not make a difference to him. However, he did not think a life without the people he held the closest to his heart would be something worth living. 

Maybe… Maybe it was worth a shot. 

“... I guess there isn’t much for me to do anyway. And just because I’m on the same mission as Keith, doesn’t mean I have to be in his vicinity right?”

Hunk smiled widely. “No, no! I’m sure you can stay far away from him.” 

* * *

The first thing Keith saw walking into Allura’s office was Lance. Immediately as Keith opened the door, Lance tensed up, crossed his arms, and gave him an icy glare. 

_ Oh fuck. _

_ Great.  _

What was he doing here? Had he complained to Allura about him? A talking to from Allura was the last thing he needed right now... 

Worst of all, he had to apologize.

“Ah, Keith!” Allura said, sounding chipper. “Good morning! Everyone is here, so now we’ll start the meeting.” 

Keith gave her a slight nod, before retreating to a corner. It was only him and the other students in the room. 

“Thankfully for us, Lance changed his mind about joining Operation Deity, so thank you so much for that, your help is greatly appreciated,” Allura said. Lance smiled back to her, but when he noticed Keith’s stare he quickly turned away and pointed his nose high up in the air. 

_ Jesus, the pride in this guy… _

Why did he even change his mind? Considering how, objectively, he still kind of sucked with his magic, he honestly wouldn’t be much help. 

“I also heard that your training has been doing well the last couple of days. So great work everyone, and great guiding by you, Keith,” Allura said, nodding to Keith. 

Keith had done nothing. He simply watched and insulted them into doing better. 

“Now, the reason why I called you here for this meeting, is because a plan has been set into motion, and we have a task ready for you. We need you to travel to and speak with someone of… Importance. Whether or not magic is needed is unclear, but we think this is a task perfect for such charismatic, young mages as yourselves.”

“Who are we speaking to?” Keith asked. 

“Someone who might help us in communicating with the gods. I’m sure you’ve all heard of him, he’s a demigod called Lotor.” 

_ Oh, fuck no.  _

The three students audibly gasped. 

“Wa- Wait… Lotor? As in stupidly rich, jack-of-all-trades celebrity, demigod Lotor?” Lance asked. 

“I don’t think there exists another demigod called Lotor,” Pidge mumbled. 

Allura nodded. “Yes. He is an… Interesting person. I have met him on occasions, and he does know of our academy, so hopefully he’d be up for having an audience with us. But, he is hard to keep track of and getting in touch with. You’ve met him, haven’t you, Keith?” 

Keith sighed, and made a grimace. “Unfortunately, I have. He’s… Ugh.” 

“That’s one way to put it,” Allura said, and laughed nervously. “But, he’s very influential and could possibly be of great help to us! And we may have some leads to his whereabouts.” 

Honestly, willingly looking for Lotor was the  _ last _ thing Keith wanted to do. Dude was a dick with an ego the size of his fortune. He  _ happened _ to be a demigod, but thing is he was not the only one and demigods were more human than gods anyway. He had met him before at the afterparty of last year’s tournament, and it was not a pleasant experience. 

“Wow, he must really be scum of the earth if he rubs  _ you _ the wrong way,” Lance said, looking at Keith. 

Okay. Okay. Yep. He actually hated him. All Keith had needed to make an enemy was open his stupid mouth. 

He sighed. “Can we talk after the meeting?” 

Lance shook his head. “Sorry, no can do. Suuuuper busy.” 

Hunk shoved into Lance’s shoulder and whispered to him unintelligibly. Lance rolled his eyes. 

“Fine,” Lance mumbled, and did not look at Keith again.

Apparently Lotor had a holiday home, more like a mansion, in the city of Xedus not far from Veher, and the tabloids were constantly gossiping about how he was partying there, so it was their best shot. Keith dreaded being somehow seen by paparazzis at that awful place, but he did not have much of a choice.

The freshlings seemed almost star-struck at the mention of Lotor, so Keith would most likely have to be the one keeping things in check. They would leave in two days, and hopefully get some useful information out of the demigod. 

After the meeting, Keith followed awkwardly after Lance into the lobby, while Hunk and Pidge went their own way. Lance had his arms crossed, and sat down on a bench in front of a waterfall embedded into the wall. 

Keith wasn’t sure if he was supposed to sit down too or not, so he stood there awkwardly shifting back and forth on his feet. 

He cleared his throat. “So… Uh…”

Lance looked at him, and Keith couldn’t hold his gaze. The blue was… Intense. He rubbed the back of his head. 

“I don’t have all day,” Lance mumbled. 

Keith swallowed his pride, and sat down next to him. “Look, I’m sorry for… What I said, it was out of line.” 

Lance’s expression softened, but he did not smile. “Yeah. It was. You don’t know me at all. You know nothing of my ambition or talent.”

He sighed. “And apparently, I don’t know you either. I thought you’d be different.” 

Keith raised his brows. “... Ouch?” 

“Oh come on, you were a dick, you know that.” 

“Well, I don’t try to be, I swear. It just… I don’t know, I’m not good with uh… Social interactions.” 

Lance chuckled shortly. “Good thing you’ve got us on this mission then.” 

Hm. Fair. 

Keith had not thought of it that way… He sure as hell would not be able to sweet-talk Lotor by himself.

For a bit, they sat in silence in front of the mesmerizing waterfall, listening to it tinkle weakly.

Lance turned slightly towards Keith. “Your advice sort of helped, though.”

“... Advice? About you… quitting?”

“No! That was crap advice. The one about what water feels like to me.”

Lance looked at his hand, which slowly started glowing blue. The veins beneath his skin became illuminated, glowing with magical energy, and in the palm of his hand he formed a perfect sphere of water which spun around.

Keith’s gaze was immediately drawn into it, unable to tear his eyes away from the simple, yet beautiful waterwork. A scent of sea and fresh rain filled the air.

“Pretty, right?” Lance said. 

“Ye-” Keith shook his head, cutting himself off. “Uh, I mean, that right there won’t do much damage.”

Lance cocked an eyebrow. The sphere shifted into a different, frozen shape. It was a crystal clear icicle, long and very sharp, and Lance pointed it directly at Keith’s throat.

He swallowed heavily.

“How about now?” Lance said. 

“Y-you’re in control of that, right?” 

“Of my own element? Someone told me once that I was not…” 

Keith felt like if he breathed too hard, the icicle would impale him. 

“Is that a bead of sweat, I see?” Lance asked, amused. The icicle shattered, and the leftover particles disappeared into thin air. “Hm. Who would’ve thought, Lance McClain making the great Keith Kogane sweat.” 

The initial relief Keith felt was immediately replaced with embarrassment. 

Lance stood up, and stretched. “Well. I guess I’ll be going. I’ll let the realization of you making yourself a sworn enemy and rival sink in… Who knows, maybe we’ll meet in the arena someday? I might snatch your title.” 

He started walking off nonchalantly, his hands in his pocket. 

Keith was... confused. 

“Wait!” He called, after standing back up. 

“Are we good? Did you… Did you accept my apology?” 

Lance continued walking, but turned his head, and smiled brightly to Keith, causing a dimple to show. Keith’s heart skipped a beat.  _ It’s fine it’s fine stay cool he has a nice smile so what?! _

As he turned his head back again, Lance raised his arm, and flipped Keith off. 

_ What the fuck? _

Keith sat back down, bewildered from the strange conversation.

Who even was this guy? 


	3. The Demigod

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith, Lance, Pidge and Hunk travel to Xedus, in the search of the demigod Lotor. But as it turns out, his help comes with a price, a rather unconventional one at that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated a bit later than I originally wanted to ehe~  
> Truthfully I'm really busy these days and this is something I like to work on when I have energy left over and little to do, but for that reason I try to make each chapter a decent length. 
> 
> Hopefully you guys will enjoy this one, and as always, thank you for your kind support!

It was early in Veher on a friday morning, and the train station was packed with people. People commuting to work, others traveling perhaps to see family or friends, and some people were simply four mages on a mission to hunt down an arrogant demigod jumping from mansion to mansion all across Terra. 

Considering how both Veher and Xedus were the largest cities in Terra, it was no wonder the traffic between the two was huge. Knowing that did not make it any less uncomfortable for Keith to be sandwiched between so many people. 

“This will be my first time in Xedus, actually,” Lance piped up. The mages were squeezing through the train cars, looking for their cabin. 

“Really? I went all the time with my family as a kid,” Hunk said. 

Keith read the number on his ticket. Cabin 73. They were passing the 60’s so it had to be close by. 

“It may be notorious for the nightlife, but damn it has some killer arcades. Nothing like the ones in Veher,” Hunk continued. 

“What, really? Sick!” 

Keith sighed. “Remember, we’re on a mission. Not sightseeing.” 

71, 72… 73. 

“In here,” He said, and approached the cabin. He scanned the ticket against a laser, and the glass doors smoothly opened. 

Upon entering, Hunk whistled. 

“Never had a cabin this fancy,” he said. The small amount of furniture was sleek, made in black and white hues. There were two opposing couches in a minimalistic design, yet they seemed soft. There were chargers everywhere, and a hologram on the wall showed options for guidance, assistance and ordering food and drinks. 

“Sponsored by Allura. I guess that’s the least she can do putting us on a life-threatening mission,” Keith mumbled and sat down.

It seemed no one had heard him, as they explored the confined space with wide, bright eyes. 

Lance pointed to a warning note on the door. 

“Do not practice magic in the train cabins… What happens if I do?” 

“You set off the fire alarm which will alert the sprinkler which will drench the cabin in water, and the staff will kick you off the train with threats of imprisonment,” Keith answered, without a breath. 

“Oddly specific, but okay,” Pidge said, and plopped down next to Keith.

“It would make no sense for  _ me  _ to set off the fire alarm,” Lance said, side-eyeing Keith. 

Keith sighed. “Just… Don’t.” 

He was sure the train staff working those three years ago had a picture of his face plastered on the wall like some “wanted dead or alive” poster. If there would be another similar incident happening, well… He wouldn’t be allowed on trains anytime soon. 

Maybe it was for the best. Xedus was a shit town, really. And so was Veher. 

As soon as the train started moving, Keith crossed his arms, leaned back, and went to sleep. There would be a couple of hours until they arrived in Xedus, and as always he had a short night of sleep, and on top of that wanted to avoid conversing with the others. It seemed the others had the same idea, and for a while their cabin was quiet and peaceful, only the soft “whoosh” from the outside being heard as the train quickly moved forward. 

Keith didn’t wake up until an hour in, when he heard a sudden clank. He opened his eyes, immediately on alert in case it meant danger. 

It didn’t. 

Lance was pushing on buttons on the hologram, and another clank was heard.

“What are you doing?” Keith asked quietly. Hunk and Pidge were still sleeping, Hunk snoring rather loudly. 

“Trying to order soda.” 

He pushed once more. Another clank. 

“... How many have you ordered?”

Lance sighed. “I don’t know! How do I get them out?! They’re like, in the wall or something,” he whispered loudly.

_ This idiot…  _

Keith got up, and walked over to the hologram. On the wall next to it, there was a panel that was outlined with black. He pushed the panel, and a lid was opened, revealing an impressive seven cans of soda. 

Lance stared at them dumbfounded.  “Well, how was I supposed to know that?” 

Keith raised his shoulders, and grabbed a can of citrus soda. He didn’t really like soda at all, as they mostly tasted extremely artificial and like pure sugar, but citrus was the least artificial tasting of them all. 

Lance himself grabbed one with strawberry and melon. 

“Weren’t you sleeping?” Keith asked. 

Lance shook his head. “Nah, I couldn’t. I like watching the landscape. I haven’t been here before.”

_ Where have you been then, _ Keith wanted to ask, but kept it to himself. Why should he care? He never cared about anyone's business except his own. 

Instead he looked through the window. 

The landscape stretched ahead of them was vast, and warm. With red sand, and little vegetation. In a way it was strikingly familiar to home. 

_ Home… _ It wasn’t really home anymore, was it? Keith had not been in the desert since he was a kid. Veher was home now, even if it didn’t feel like it at all. 

Some said home wasn’t a place, but people. Maybe that was true. When he thought of home, Shiro and Adam came to mind. Perhaps even the academy itself. But even so, he could not help but feel a sting of homesickness as he watched the familiar landscape, the sharp hills, the cactuses and the occasional birds flying past looking for prey in that vast, desolate place.

It was the loneliness of it all. 

The cities were too loud. Too full of people. Of people trying to make a name for themselves, putting on personas and giving up all they hold dear in order to become something miserable. 

Only reason Keith had gotten fame and recognition was because he lacked those things in the first place. There was nothing to sacrifice, because it was already gone. 

And now that he knew what it felt like, he felt even more detached from society. Why would anyone  _ want  _ a life like his? 

“Keith?” Lance asked. 

He turned to face him. Had he completely zoned out? Lance was looking directly at him, the blue eyes enough to already make him squirm. 

“What?” Keith answered, rather forcefully in an aggressive tone. It kinda just plopped out.

It certainly threw Lance back, whose eyes widened, and he immediately looked away. 

“Nothing,” he mumbled. 

_ What the hell, Keith... _

He rubbed his forehead. “Uh… Sorry, I didn’t mean to… What was it?” He asked again, softer now. 

“Oh, um… You seemed kind of reluctant to go on the mission, going against the gods and stuff.” 

Keith raised a brow. “And? Is that a question?” 

“... No. I guess I kind of understand it. Like… What are we doing? If we screw up then…” His voice faded, losing energy. 

“It doesn’t make sense, but what Allura says goes. As for screwing up… That’s the point of magic isn’t it. Push it too far, it rebounds. It can hurt you, possibly kill you. Use it against someone, they will fire back. It’s dangerous, but you  _ should  _ know that.”

Lance nodded. “I do. I know there’s a risk, but… Don’t you constantly push it? The way you fight in competitions, it’s like… There have been certain times where I thought ‘there’s no way he will survive that’. Yet you do.” 

Keith wasn’t sure if it was supposed to make him uncomfortable or flattered that he had analyzed him so much. It’s not like others had not said the same thing, except meant as a critique or a scolding. 

“I don’t intend to survive any fight. I fight like it will kill me, it’s just pure luck that I’m not dead yet.” 

Lance’s jaw fell open. 

“Oh. That’s... “ He closed his mouth, staring out the window. “I couldn’t think like that.” 

Keith scrunched his brows, feeling a sense of irritation settle in his stomach. 

“We are not the same, so you don’t have to.” 

Lance didn’t respond, comfort in any shape or form completely gone from their conversation. 

For the last two hours of the journey, silence continued. 

* * *

It was almost noon by the time the train rolled into the train station in Xedus. Lance had his eyes glued to the surroundings, watching buildings become bigger and more modernized the closer they got to the city. 

And in the heart of it all, it was like a new world. 

So many walls were like mirrors, reflections of hundreds of people passing by in the busy streets. Lance was surprised by all the noise, every direction was filled with either chatter, sounds of traffic, music and advertising from giant neon billboards that were absolutely everywhere. In a way it was incredibly intrusive, but in another way it was also beautiful. All the smooth surfaces, all the city lights… Xedus probably came to life after sundown, and he was excited to experience it. 

“Look!” Pidge yelled out, pointing to a giant billboard. On it was some sort of robot or machine. 

“I read about that! It was launched last week at the Tech conference. Beautifully engineered,” she said, nearly salivating by the mere sight of it. 

“I saw that too! I wonder if it will be common for households soon,” Hunk said. 

Lance raised an eyebrow. While he admired the passion both Pidge and Hunk had for technical things and inventions, he could never keep up with them. “What is it?” 

“It’s almost like a robot butler. It has incredibly human-like movements and behaviour. Some of them are even implemented with voices and artificial intelligence. If you ask me, I think this is the first successful attempt at A.I for household chores,” Pidge said, and then smiled devilishly. “I would love to get my hands on one of those, and see what I could do with it…” 

“Out of context, that sounds disgusting. Anyway, things like that scare me… I’d rather do chores myself,” Lance said. 

“Can we focus on why we’re here?” Keith had his arms crossed, and was tapping impatiently with his foot. “We need to go to Lotor’s mansion and get this over with.”

“Party pooper. Let loose will you?” Lance stuck out his tongue at him. 

Keith’s nostrils flared. “We have a mission!” 

“Yes, but there’s no need to be so bitter. Like we get it, you’re washed-up, don’t take it out on us.” 

Lance couldn’t help it. Since his infatuation with Keith had disappeared, egging him on when he acted like an ass had become his default setting. He knew it would only make him more of an asshole, and maybe Lance was a lunatic, but seeing how his face became more red and how his eyes would strangle him if they could, gave him a fucked up sense of satisfaction. 

“Washed up?! You’re a fucking noboby-” 

“Oh. My god. People are staring!” Pidge interrupted in a loud whisper, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. 

Keith turned around with a sigh, and lowered his voice. “Let’s just go.”

As they made their way towards a line-up of self-driving taxis, Hunk pulled Lance to the side. 

“I thought you guys had buried the hatchet,” he whispered. 

“We did,” Lance said, and raised his shoulders. 

“That did not look like burying the hatchet. You’re don’t usually… Hm… Insult anyone.”

Lance waved it off. “Well, Keith is an exception. He’s so stuck up, it annoys me.” 

“I could probably count on one hand the amount of mages I know that are  _ not  _ stuck-up. Usually you ignore it,” Hunk said, looking genuinely worried. “Maybe.. You’re still a little hurt by what he said?”

He avoided Hunk’s gaze. “I’m fine, okay? He’s just not who I thought he was, and… It’s my own fault for being wrong about that. But it’s fine, I don’t care.”

Hunk always made it into a big deal, when Lance didn’t want it to be. “Can we move on? Keith’s just gonna be mad if we stall.” 

  
  


After Keith had plopped the address into the taxi, it easily maneuvered through town. Once they reached a less central area, full of big, expensive houses they knew they were on the right track.

It was most definitely a neighbourhood fit for a demigod. Some of the grand houses were made of stone and marble, resembling old castles more than an actual house, and some were modern artworks, architecture consisting of interesting and dynamic shapes. Their balconies had pools and jacuzzis, their gardens were edens of lush, exotic trees and flowers.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Lotor owned every single house here,” Hunk mumbled. 

“If he needs more space for parties, he just buys out a neighbour,” Keith said. 

“Wait, really?” 

Keith nodded. “Yep. He was in charge of the tournament afterparty, and it was a whole street. Apparently the booze never ended and it kept going for three days.” 

“And you attended, right?” Pidge asked. 

“If attending means showing up for ten minutes, then yes. It’s not exactly my scene.” 

The taxi slowed to a stop in front of one of the many mansions. It wasn’t much different from other houses, the walls were of white stone and had more of a classic look. The most notable difference was the monster of a gate, looking like it had a complex locking system. 

They stepped out of the car with their backpacks and bags, and lined up in front of it. 

Keith pushed a button on a hologram next to the gate, creating a low buzzing sound. Within twenty seconds, there was an answer through a speaker. 

“Yes?” The voice was buttery with a hint of huskiness. 

“This is Kogane. I’m here on behalf of Lion Academy about some pressing matters,” Keith said in a monotone, cold voice. 

The speaker fell quiet for a few seconds. 

“... Hm. Not interested, sorry!” Lotor said, and the connection was cut. 

“Hello?” Keith asked, but gaining no answer. 

“I’m gonna be honest, I wouldn’t be interested either,” Hunk said, and rubbed the back of his head. 

“Fucking prick. I’ll melt his gate,” Keith mumbled, glaring at the white bars. 

Honestly, Lance believed it. 

“No offence, hotshot, but you’ve got no charm. None. At all.” 

Keith threw his hands up. “So?! I don’t wanna charm him, I want his cooperation!”

Lance rolled his eyes. “You’re so dense! Watch me and learn,” he said, stepping up to the hologram. 

He pushed the button again, and it made the same low buzz. 

This time the answer was quicker. “What?” Lotor said, his voice huskier now with annoyance. 

Lance put on a smile, and looked at Keith while he spoke into the microphone. 

“Excuse my friend, he’s so awkward when he’s star-struck. We  _ are  _ from the academy, and have been dying to meet you,” he said, sugar coating his voice. 

He laughed shortly. “It’s a little embarrassing, but I’m a big fan. You don’t think we could just like… Get your autograph, maybe a picture? I mean, you’re so handsome so a picture would be awesome.” 

Hunk and Pidge we’re struggling to contain their laugh while Keith was rolling his eyes, staring at Lance in disbelief. 

“Please?” Lance asked, putting on his sweetest voice. 

Lotor hummed. “Perhaps. Could you face the camera for me?”

“Camera?”

“It’s above the pad.”

Lance looked up, and sure enough, there was a small lens peeking down at them. Lotor was probably looking at them from inside right now.

The thought made him squirm, yet Lance flashed a bright smile, giving him the ol’ razzle dazzle. Lance was a charmer, and he would be damned if he couldn’t get them inside exploiting that. 

A low laughter came from the speaker. “Not bad. You may enter.” 

The gate smoothly opened. 

Lance looked at Keith, and cocked an eyebrow. “See?” 

Keith scoffed, and started walking up to the front door. “Just don’t come crying to me when he tries jumping your bones.” 

“He’s a  _ demigod. _ No crying from me.”

Honestly, as much as Lance put on a persona, he legitimately was excited to meet Lotor. Sure, he had a reputation, but Lance had never met a demigod before. He had read about him, and from the pictures and videos he had seen, Lotor was pretty handsome. So what if he partied a lot and got into drama? Someone had to bring the entertainment. 

When they approached the front door, it automatically opened. 

“Maybe let Lance do the talking first. We don’t want to get kicked out right away,” Hunk said to Keith. 

“... Let’s just be quick. I can’t stand the guy.” 

The inside of the mansion was perhaps even more impressive than the outside. It was also not exactly what you’d expect. There were only hints of the classic style from the exterior, inside it was mixed with modern art. The floors were a black and white tile, and there were various neon lights on the walls, most of them glowing purple.

It looked like a nightclub. Speakers on the walls quietly played house music. In addition to the neon signs, the walls were decorated with expensive looking renaissance paintings. 

And that was only the hallway. 

When they reached the living room, they were greeted with even more artwork, and ancient statues in the corners. One of the walls had a large mirror, making the already huge room seem even bigger. Lance caught the reflection of himself and the others. They seemed so inappropriately dressed, in casual jeans and shirts. 

“Welcome to my humble abode. Well, one of,” the voice from earlier said, and Lotor stepped out through a doorway. 

He was  _ not  _ any less handsome in reality. Maybe even more. His white hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail, and he wore a shirt with a black velvet vest, and adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves.

When Lotor’s gaze landed on him, Lance knew he was staring with his mouth agape, and it wasn’t until Pidge elbowed him until he got back to reality. 

“Oh! Um... Thank you for having us,” Lance forced out, smiling nervously. 

“It’s my pleasure… Mr…?” Lotor had his hand reached out, and Lance grabbed it, praying it wasn’t sweaty. 

“McClain. Lance McClain.” The handshake was firm and lasted a couple seconds too long, but Lance did not mind. He was shaking hands with freaking  _ Lotor, _ a demigod! 

_ Calm down, Lance. You haven’t exactly had good meetings with your heroes lately.  _

“Lance,” he said, letting it roll off his tongue. “Honorable name.” 

“Is it?” Lance fumbled. 

“Of course. It is also the name of a medieval weapon, one belonging to knights. Great warriors of their time.” 

Lance laughed nervously. 

“You must be a mage?” 

He nodded, but made a grimace. “I don’t know if I qualify as a great warrior, though.” 

Lotor smiled. “Nonsense. I can tell you’re capable of disarming thousands of men… Maybe only through a smile.” 

_ Oh. My. God.  _ Was he flirting with him? Was a demigod flirting with him? 

Lance felt his heart rate pick up and continued to laugh nervously. Laugh and smile, Lance, that’s all you gotta do when words fail you. 

Lotor set his attention on the others. “Mage of the year. Will you fight to keep the title, Kogane?”

Keith crossed his arms. “Probably not.” 

“Hm. A shame. I was contemplating participating this year… But, wouldn’t be much of a fair fight, would it?” 

If it was meant as a sting towards Keith or Lotor himself, Lance could not tell. But, considering Lotor was a demigod… That must mean he had certain abilities humans did not. 

Hunk and Pidge introduced themselves, and afterwards they sat down in the living room.    
  
“I apologize for the mess,” Lotor said, gesturing to empty bottles of wine and glasses standing on the table. 

Ah, naturally there had been a party. Maybe that explained the slight rasp in Lotor’s voice. You could hardly tell, considering he looked flawless, but maybe he was hungover. 

“I’ll have my butler take care of it.” 

Lotor suddenly whistled loudly, and in the matter of seconds, they heard metallic steps echo through the hallways. A robot appeared with a tray, similar to the one on the billboard. 

Pidge shrieked loudly. “That’s - That’s The Butler! You have one of those?!” 

She immediately got to her feet, and studied the robot moving with a hawk-like gaze. 

“It’s unimpressive, really. Is artificial intelligence interesting at all when it can’t process human emotions? It’s following protocol. No instincts. It can’t feel pain,” Lotor met Lance’s eyes. In person, Lance was even more drawn in to the yellow in his irises. 

“Or rage. Love. Pleasure. That’s what makes humans interesting, and why I much prefer their company.” 

Pidge didn’t say anything, too busy studying the components of the robot as it picked up the empty bottles. 

“Do… Do you feel those things?” Lance suddenly asked, before quickly shutting his mouth. It seemed to take Lotor by surprise, and he immediately regretted it. 

But then, Lotor barked in laughter. “Of course. I would say those are the things that guide me. I am no different than you, Lance.”

Lance waved his arms. “That was a stupid question, I’m sorry. I’ve never met a demigod, so um… Not that you don’t seem normal! Wow, I’m gonna shut up now.” 

Despite making an ass of himself, Lotor’s smile never dropped. “No harm done. Your curiosity is charming.”

From the other end of the couch, Keith sighed. 

Lance saw him with his arms crossed from the corner of his eye, obviously impatient. 

Thankfully, even if Lotor noticed Keith being an asshole, he didn’t make anything of it. 

“Um, so actually, there are some more important issues we wanted to talk to you about, if that’s alright. It might not be what you find interesting, but we’d really love your help,” Lance explained. 

He almost expected for Lotor to immediately reject them, but his expression was still the same. Perhaps there was a chance. 

“I’m listening.”

Lance looked to Keith for help. 

“Headmistress Allura sent us here, because she thinks you could aid us in our mission.” 

Lotor smirked. “She sent you? She could have visited, we are friends after all. What’s on her mind?” 

“Government wants us to do something about the gods. People have been pushed too far by their antics and want to retaliate. Allura was hoping you could help us going forward with this.” 

Perhaps for the first time that conversation, Lance saw a sliver of Lotor’s facade dropping. His eyes narrowed, and his smirk fell. He leaned forward in the chair, resting his chin in his hand while watching Keith skeptically. 

“Go forward with what exactly? Are you out for blood or looking for a peace treaty?” 

“... That’s yet to be decided. We just need to know if you have a way into their circle.” 

Lance realized how absurd the situation seemed. Lotor was a demigod, and they were asking him for a way to weaken them, his own kind. Well, half of his kind. Lotor had to feel some sort of loyalty to them, right? 

“Hm. Wouldn’t it be funny if lightning struck the roof right now?” Lotor said, leaning back. 

Lance’s eyes widened, and in a matter of seconds, everyone was on high alert. 

Until Lotor laughed quietly. “Relax. It would’ve been a little funny… Is that what it feels like being on a god-killing mission? Like they might punish you any second?” 

None of them laughed. But he was right… It did feel like that. 

“I will say, I didn’t believe Allura had it in her to send her students into such dangerous territory. She must have high faith in you,” Lotor said, speaking to Keith in particular. 

Keith crossed his arms tightly.

“People have no reason to put their faith in me, but here we are. Will you help us or not?” 

Lotor stroked his chin, and hummed. His gaze travelled across all of them, before landing on Lance. 

He smiled. “I’ll see what I can do. On one condition.” 

“What?” Keith asked, annoyed. 

Lotor still looked at Lance, with the same soft expression he bore earlier. “You guys stay for a weekend of fun. I have a large party planned, and would love to have you as my honored guests. Consider it a vacation, before you ultimately go towards your demise.”   


There was a split second of silence, before Lotor chuckled.

“Don’t be so grim. I only joked of course. However, I am serious about the party. Enjoy this weekend with me, and I will help you to the best of my ability.”

* * *

“This is gonna be the best weekend  _ ever. _ I can’t believe we get to party with Lotor!” Lance shrieked gleefully as they walked down one of the main streets in Xedus. 

Keith rolled his eyes. “Partying with Lotor is a nightmare.” 

“Of course you would think that, party pooper,” Lance said, sticking out his tongue at him. 

“Maybe we should’ve taken him up on his offer and stayed in his house. It would save us money,” Hunk stated. 

“I would rather poke my eyeballs out,” Keith muttered, as he looked for a hotel. Every building in Xedus looked the same, mirrored skyscrapers with neon signs. Once he saw “hotel” written in pink glowy letters, he walked towards it. 

“Why do you hate him so much? He was surprisingly nice back there… Unlike a certain someone,” Lance said. 

It seemed Lance was still upset with him. He wished there wasn’t constant tension between them, it would’ve made the mission much easier, but it couldn’t be helped. 

Keith didn’t need his acceptance or admiration. Maybe it  _ was _ for the best. Somehow he felt like letting Lance keep thinking he was cool and a nice guy would only end in disaster. You couldn’t break anyone’s heart, if they disliked you from the start. 

“Maybe you need to stop being so optimistic. Glorifying others before you know what they’re actually like will only hurt you. I’m sure you’ll see his true colors soon enough.” 

They entered the hotel, which was much too fancy-looking for Keith’s liking. He wasn’t even sure if they would afford it, since they hadn’t planned on staying for a weekend, and the hotel was right in the heart of the city. 

“This is gonna be expensive,” he muttered under his breath, but it did not go unheard. 

“Which is why we  _ should’ve _ stayed at Lotor’s, but noooo, you’re too stubbo-” 

“Please. Shut. Up.” 

Lance crossed his arms and turned his cheek to him. 

“Maybe I’ll handle this,” Hunk said with a nervous laugh and walked over to the front desk. 

Fine enough, Keith felt like a ticking bomb. He didn’t want to be in this stupid city, negotiating or partying with stupid Lotor, or watching the others fawn over him like stupid, star-struck idiots! 

He felt the skin on his hand twitch, like his veins were warming up ready for eruption. If he could at least do some fucking magic- 

“Okay, so, we’ve got good and bad news,” Hunk said as he approached them. “There are rooms available. But, there’s only two. It’s a bit pricey as well, but what we got from Allura will just cover it.”

Keith sighed. “That’s fine.” He didn’t have the energy to make a fuzz about it. 

Hunk took a deep breath, and made a pained face before he finally spoke up again. “And… Well… Pidge and I have this project we’ve been working on, so it would be convenient if we could share a room. Is that… okay?” 

It took a few seconds for Keith to even process what that meant. 

“You guys will have to share. Is there a slight possibility you’d be able to do so without killing each other?” Pidge asked. 

Lance sent Keith an icy glare. “I wouldn’t kill anyone. However I can’t speak for him, he might strangle me in my sleep.” 

Keith rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t the one threatening you with a fucking icicle, was I?”

“If this will be too hard for you, I will happily go back to Lotor and stay there.” 

Was he actually clueless? He really had no idea who Lotor really was, and what he was capable of? It was so ridiculous Keith almost started feeling sorry for the guy. 

“Look. I’m willing to make peace with you, for the sake of our mission. And I know you don’t like my advice, maybe rightfully so, but I’ll only say this once: If you start trusting Lotor blindly, it’s gonna get you in trouble. You might think he’s kind or sweet, but he will end up manipulating you. So don’t fucking go there, and definitely not alone,” Keith said, trying his best not to sound like an asshole. 

“And I’m not saying this to help you. I’m focusing on the mission, and that’s it.” 

“Gee thanks,” Lance mumbled. But his demeanour changed, and he didn’t come with any hostile rebuttals.

He sighed heavily. “Fine, I’ll stay. I promise not to stab you with an icicle.” 

“And I promise not to burn your bed down with you in it.” 

When they faced the Hunk and Pidge, weirdly enough they were smiling. 

“Aw, look at you two! Building bridges… Somewhat,” Hunk said. 

_ Ugh. _

Keith could not wait for this weekend to be over. 

The hotel rooms were nice at least. Hunk and Pidge took the first room, which had a relaxing atmosphere. The bathroom was spacious and they each had a queen-sized bed. Right away after entering, they immediately started pulling out notebooks and small metallic components. 

“Wait, when did the party start again?” Pidge asked before she got too sucked up into work. 

“Eight. He said to send me where we stayed and he’d pick us up,” Lance said. 

“... You have his number?” Keith asked. 

“Yes, Keith, I do. Jealous?” 

“No, thank Terra…” 

Their room was just a floor above. From first impressions, their room was even nicer than the other one. The colors in the room were surprisingly pleasant, with grey walls and light blue curtains thick enough to block daylight. The space itself was bigger, and it even had a proper coffee machine which Keith would definitely utilize. When in Rome, or whatever. 

However, there was one problem. 

A tiny issue. 

There was only one bed. 

“Maybe there’s an extra bed here, you know, like a small one,” Lance said, scouting out the room. 

“Well this isn’t exactly the size of a mall either, can you  _ see _ an extra bed?”

“Not really…” 

Keith was so done. The entire day had been filled with tiny little problems and he was just  _ not _ in the mood for it. 

He sighed in defeat, and plopped his bag down. “I’ll sleep on the floor.” 

“Don’t be stupid. It’s a big bed,” Lance said, and sat down on the bed, bouncing slightly. 

Keith raised his brows. 

“Please don’t tell me you’re one of those dudes allergic to sleeping anywhere near another guy? Like, just swallow your pride, man.”

Keith wasn’t sure whether to laugh, cry or scream. 

“That’s- That’s not-” 

What was he supposed to say? No, I’m gay, why would I be allergic to that? And then freak him out, and make the situation worse? 

“I swear, I won’t invade your privacy. The bed is gigantic, we’ll stay on our sides. Who would ever be okay with sleeping on the floor...” 

“Look, it’s not an issue-” 

Lance shook his head. “Nope. We’re doing it this way. I’ll take the window side.” 

Maybe he was right. Honestly, it wasn’t weird and it was just for the weekend. And Lance didn’t seem bothered by it, so why should he be? 

“Fine. Just don’t kick me in your sleep or something.” 

Lance plopped down on his side, looking up at the ceiling. “Don’t even worry about it, when I sleep, I’m out cold like a rock.”

The hours leading up to the party were, much to Keith’s liking, uneventful. Lance immediately bolted, saying his “broke ass is about to windowshop the fuck out of the shopping streets”, and Hunk and Pidge were presumably busy working on their project, whatever that may be. They seemed to be into tech stuff, and as long Keith got to relax in peace, then great. 

He knew he wouldn’t be able to get any sleep, he never did, but he laid down on the bed anyway and closed his eyes. 

The hotel room was surprisingly quiet, and if there were any sounds from the city he could not hear them at all. 

The silence was nice, and allowed him to think. 

Keith did realize that maybe his temperature had been over the top that day, but it was hard to dismiss. He hated Lotor’s presence, and he hated the city, and he hated how Lance kept pushing his buttons. When it came to the latter, maybe it wasn’t just Lance’s fault. Keith pushed his buttons too. He had done it the first time they met without realizing it himself. 

So maybe he deserved his taunts. When Lance didn’t however act bratty, he actually seemed alright, despite his theatrics and sometimes confusing behavior. 

And maybe, if they hadn’t gotten off on the wrong foot, maybe their mission would be much less straining. So in the end, Keith only had himself to thank. 

He laughed sarcastically to himself. 

And now, he had to  _ party _ with a pretentious demigod. 

* * *

“A limo?!” Lance exclaimed at the sight of a dark purple limo pulled up next to the hotel. 

“Who even needs a limo?” Keith mumbled. 

A window rolled down, and it revealed Lotor with sunglasses on and a glass of wine in hand, smiling crookedly to them. 

“People who have fun. You should try it,” he said, raising his glass. 

Lance giggled. “I don’t think he knows how.”

The door was opened, and Lotor gestured for them to get in. 

“You seem like someone who likes fun,” Lotor said, after Lance sat down next to him.

The limo had shaded windows, and downlights installed in colors like blue, purple and yellow. It made it seem like a nightclub on wheels. The stereo quietly played radio pop, and there was a tray in the middle of the seat with glasses of various liquids. 

Lance laughed nervously. “I guess I try.” 

“Then allow me to indulge you.” Lotor picked up some of the drinks on the tray, and passed them out to everybody, except for Keith who declined. Pidge got a classic gin and tonic, and Hunk got whisky sour. 

Lance’s drink was electric blue, and very pretty. There was a lemon in it, along with raspberries and blueberries. He smelled it, and the scent was fruity and fresh. 

“What is this?” Lance asked. 

“A specialty of mine. I call it The Blue Tang.” 

“Like the fish? I see the resemblance.” 

Lotor raised his glass to them. “Cheers to a weekend of fun and new-found friendship.” 

In the corner of his eye, Lance saw Keith roll his eyes. It almost made him laugh, but instead, he looked to Lotor and clinked their glasses together. 

“Bottoms up.” 

Xedus was a whole different city at night. During the day, it seemed polished and sleek, a centre for ground-breaking technology and evolution. As soon as the sun set, the neon signs glowed brighter and the mirrored skyscrapers were engulfed in the dark sky, some lighting up like beacons in vivid colors. And from every single street, there was bound to be music playing. 

Lance gazed through the shaded window as they passed the busiest streets of Xedus. His vision was already swimming, traffic lights and billboards leaving streaks of lights that mesmerized him. He could not tell if it was the drink, or if it was simply the city. 

“What’s in this?” Lance asked while giggling, turning to Lotor and pointing to his drink. The glass was only half empty. 

“Nothing dangerous. Don’t you trust me?” 

“Of course I do! But this is some strong stuff,” he said with a huff. He took another sip. It tasted like a freaking dessert though. 

“Lance is a lightweight,” Hunk said, casually sipping from his own drink. 

Once the limo pulled to a stop and they started getting out, Lance drew a deep breath, steadying himself before facing their destination. 

He could not look stupid in front of Lotor, someone who was a professional at this and probably had the alcohol tolerance of a - well, demigod. 

The nightclub they were facing was a large, pitch black building, and honestly, had one of the more subtle designs than some other buildings in Xedus. There were no signs and no windows, with only a single bouncer standing in front of the door. Lotor only tipped his head slightly in the bouncer’s direction, and the door swung open, revealing the soft rhythmic thud of music coming from somewhere deep within the club. 

Lance looked towards Keith with a mischievous grin.

“Time for you to shake loose, party pooper.” 

Keith sighed and crossed his arms. “... I’m not gonna help you throw your guts up when things go south, you know.” 

Lance stuck out his tongue at him. 

“You won’t have to! I’m gonna have fun, babey.” 


	4. The Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mages experience a night out on the town with Lotor. After, Lotor holds up his end of the bargain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, this turned out into a really long chapter. Hopefully it will be an interesting read, enjoy!

Immediately as they had entered the nightclub, Keith had retreated to where he always went during parties. The corner.

He didn’t want to be there at all, but he felt like he was obligated to be there. Maybe once everyone got drunk enough they wouldn’t notice him slipping out. He had ordered himself a simple beer, better and safer than whatever poison Lotor had been serving, and resorted to sitting by the bar close to the wall.

And despite the obnoxious music and the pile of sweaty bodies dancing together on the dance floor, the club itself was kind of nice. The furniture was sleek and clean, in some ways resembling the interior of Lotor’s mansion. The walls were dark, and besides the strobing neon lights, the lights were dimmed. He could just sit in the corner sipping his beer, no one would care or even notice him. 

Certain others were not as invisible. 

Lance was already deep in the buzz. After checking the place out, he was on the dancefloor, smiling from ear to ear moving with the music. For a while, Hunk and Pidge danced with him, but after half an hour they sat down next to Keith. 

“Having fun?” he asked, still slowly drinking his beer. 

“Oh, hell yeah. I’m exhausted though,” Hunk said, fanning himself. 

“You don’t dance, Keith?” Pidge asked, smirking. 

Keith scoffed. “Nope. How, how does he even do that?” He studied Lance, pulling some sort of dance moves. He was in a sea of people, somehow simultaneously dancing with them all. Smiling, laughing, even making small talk.

Hunk scratched his chin. “It’s kinda like magic, isn’t it? Bet you could be good, if you did it the way you manipulate fire.” 

“... If I did it that way, the room would actually catch fire.” 

He wasn’t completely wrong though. While Keith hadn’t watched Lance perform much magic at all really, he did move with a fluidity resembling his element. He moved effortlessly, bending like rivers, rolling his hips like waves. He almost expected him to start summoning water. 

And when he saw Lance conjuring a strip of water, shaping it like a planetary ring spinning around him, it didn’t come to a surprise. But still, Keith couldn’t look away. He saw the people surrounding him visibly gasp, some clapping in excitement at the show. 

Lance pulled them in like he was magnetic. 

Honestly, Keith couldn’t tell if it was the magic, his movements, or a mixture of both. At first, it had seemed like most of them were women, but Keith noticed guys too. Snaking their way up to him, finding excuses to get closer and touch him. 

It made Keith feel weird. Like, he couldn’t handle something so intrusive. If he was in Lance’s place, he’d resort to punching someone. But Lance… Wasn’t he bothered? He was smiling and laughing, still dancing the same way he did before. 

_ Huh.  _

Keith finally tore his eyes away, staring into his now almost empty glass, but felt the presence of a penetrating gaze. He looked up, and Hunk was staring at him with a funny expression. 

“What?” 

Hunk smiled. “Nothing. Lance is a different breed, isn’t he?” 

Keith raised his shoulders. “I guess. He’s difficult to understand.” 

“He can be at times. But figuring him out is an easy process.” 

“Really?”

For some reason, he found that hard to believe. Just over the short span of time Keith had spent with Lance, he was impossible to figure out. 

Hunk nodded. “He’s the easiest friend I ever made. I know you guys have your beef or whatever, but he’s one of the most trustworthy, loyal people I know. It will come with time.”

Keith looked over his shoulder, back at Lance. Maybe that was true. Just from what he could see, people were fawning over him after dancing with him for five minutes. He had to have a hidden power to his magic or something. 

The way Keith could immediately push people away with a few words or a dismissive glance, Lance pulled them in.

It was the strangest thing. 

* * *

Lance had been dancing for who knows how long. He certainly could not keep track of time. He felt compelled to stay there, in the warmth of the strobing lights, surrounded by people in the same mindspace as him. He even started conjuring water, not even thinking about any potential rules about prohibited magic. 

It just felt right, he felt like he was in his element. Not an ocean this time, but a sea of people dancing their hearts out.

Where Hunk and Pidge went, Lance had no clue. And Lotor had somehow fallen off the face of the earth. 

Eventually, he started feeling dizzy. The drink Lotor had given him was really starting to kick in now, making it harder to keep his balance while dancing. He slowly retracted from the dance floor, politely waving off a couple of guys who had been dancing with him for a while.

Without looking around, Lance set his sights on the bathrooms. His vision was swimming and his legs were shaking. He needed a break.

The bathroom was nice, made of black, polished tiles with tiny decorative neon lights in purple. He turned the sink on, and splashed his face with water. The purple glow he had in the mirror didn’t make him feel any more sober.

“You’re quite the dancer.” 

Lance jumped at the sudden voice, and turned towards it. Lotor was leaning against the doorframe. 

“Pft, I’m nothing special,” he answered, wiping the water droplets off his face. 

“Quite the mage too. A born entertainer.” 

Lance blushed. “I’m mostly a clown.” 

Lotor smiled. “You seem oblivious to the attention you get. If you ever find yourself in an economic pinch, or if the world of academia and magic becomes too boring for you… I know somewhere you could comfortably entertain others to your full ability.” 

Lance raised his brows. Before he could say anything, Lotor cut him to the chase. 

“You’re young and ambitious, I’ve seen it before many times. But life is more than just a journey. Sometimes, you have to stop to smell the roses.” 

Lotor turned his back. “Follow me. You haven’t seen the whole place yet.” 

Once they exited the bathroom, instead of going back to the main room, Lotor guided him into a narrow hallway. The black walls and lack of lighting made it almost seem like they were walking into the void. 

Or maybe it was just Lance’s drunken delusions. 

Eventually, they reached the end of the hallway. Lotor opened a door with a keycard, and Lance followed him into what seemed like an extension of the club. It was a lounge, with similarities resembling the rest of the club, like black, shiny tiles and neon lights. 

But something was different. 

Almost all the lights were shades of purple. Instead of tables and chairs, most of the furniture were couches and coffee tables. The lounge had a bar, although smaller in size than the other one. As for the amount of people inside, there weren’t many. There were perhaps between twenty to thirty, most of them well-grown men. And the area of interest was not the bar or a dance floor. 

There was a stage, and on it, stripper poles. A couple of women and a guy were using them, spinning around the poles to sultry music playing from the expensive stereo.

Lance’s eyes widened at the sight. 

“This is the truly exclusive part of the club. For patrons and loyal customers,” Lotor whispered into his ear. 

“And you’re a patron?” Lance asked. 

“Oh, no. I’m the owner.” 

Lance let out a small “oh”. 

Come to think of it, Lotor owning a nightclub wasn’t something unlikely. He owned several, probably. His mansion was huge and beautiful, and he could probably count on two hands how many of those he owned. So naturally Lotor had taken them to his own nightclub, that was also a… Stripclub. 

“Is it not to your liking?” Lotor asked, studying Lance’s face intensely. 

Lance waved his hands in panic. “No- no, I mean, this is cool! It’s my first time being in a place like this, is all.” 

Lotor smirked. “Surely you know your way around a pole?” 

He had barely finished his sentence before Lance started blushing furiously. Did he really think Lance was a  _ stripper?  _

He didn’t know whether to feel honoured or offended. 

“Unfortunately, no. I mean I’m not like,  _ opposed  _ to the profession or anything, I just, I never, maybe it’s not really my thing, I wouldn’t know-” Lance kept babbling nonsensical half-sentences in embarrassment. 

Lotor’s smile kept widening until he finally laughed. 

“Cute. I didn’t think you did, I’m sorry for embarrassing you. I like putting you on the spot,” he explained, sitting down in one of the couches and patting the seat next to him. 

“So it seems,” Lance said, smiling shyly before sitting down as well. 

Soon, a bartender came towards them with a tray of drinks. Lance eyed them suspiciously, still a little woozy from The Blue Tang, even though he was sobering up. Especially after the less than comfortable conversation. 

“It’s just cider. Perfect for, how did your friend put it, a light-weight,” Lotor said, grabbing one of them for himself. 

Lance picked up a glass, and slowly started sipping it. He was right, the taste was of bubbly apple cider. Not that he had any reason to lie about it. Keith had called him manipulative earlier… But why should Lance trust Keith’s word? Keith had barely done anything to show him kindness. Lotor on the other hand had been nothing but kind, even if he could be unorthodox at times.

Lance was his own judge, he didn’t need Keith seemingly “looking out” for him or his warnings that were based on nothing.

“You seem like… A nice person,” Lance blurted out. Okay, maybe that was weird to say. 

Lotor cocked his head. “Did you think otherwise?” 

“No! Well, I didn’t know you. So I didn’t know what to expect. I guess lately I’ve been a bit… wrong, about people.” 

The alcohol was loosening his tongue easily. Technically, he didn’t know Lotor well at all, and usually he’d be more cautious of exposing so much of his thoughts to strangers. But the alcohol, on top of Lotor’s inviting aura, just kept him talking. 

“You ever admire someone from afar, only to realize they’re not who you thought they were? And it just takes you  _ completely  _ by surprise.” 

Lotor smiled. “I can imagine. In a positive, or negative manner?” 

Lance bit his lip. “Negative? But then again, is it really their fault when you made a false image of them in your head?” 

“Hmm… Sounds like…” Lotor tapped his chin. “Sounds like you worry too much.” 

Lance let out a sudden laugh. “Y-Yeah. True.”

Lotor reached out towards him, and Lance freezed. He was barely touching him, yet he felt the warmth radiating off his skin when Lotor gently pushed back some hair by the corner of Lance’s eye. 

“If someone is not good enough for you, then they don’t deserve your time. If they let you down, leave them. You, Lance McClain, are a treasure. Don’t settle for anyone who wouldn’t treat you as such.” 

His heart skipped a beat, he was sure. 

_ Dangerous.  _

Developing crushes on demigods was a bad idea.

They didn’t stay at the strip longue for long. Lance watched the dancers for a bit, and while they were talented and he was amazed at their flexibility and strength, he wasn’t as engaged in it as, say, the older men there. 

Eventually, they went back to the main room. Lance danced a bit more, and spent most of the remaining time talking with Hunk and Pidge. Keith was in the corner, brooding and looking like he wanted to leave. And as time passed quickly and Lance started feeling sluggish, eventually they all decided to go. 

Lotor had told them the limo was waiting outside for whenever they wanted to leave, but then mysteriously disappeared right after. 

“I’m soooo tired,” Hunk complained as they went towards the exit. 

“I’ve had three energy drinks. I think I astral projected to another plane of existence,” Pidge added, as she was visibly shaking. 

Lance laughed. “Let’s get you guys some sleep.”

He was about to follow them out the door, when movement to his right caught his eye. Lance looked into the corner. 

Two bodies were pressed against the wall, outlined by purple neon lights. It was dark, but the white ponytail and tall build was not hard to place. Lotor was busy making out with someone, tongue down his throat. The other guy was also familiar. On the pole he had been wearing only briefs, but now he was clothed.  _ Probably not for long...  _

Lance felt a gentle push against his back. 

“Lance,” Keith said quietly. “Let’s move.” His eyes skirted briefly towards Lotor for a split second, but Lance couldn’t read his face. No signs of disgust nor curiosity. 

“Right,” Lance mumbled, and went out the door. 

He felt heavy all of a sudden. 

_ Tricked?  _ _  
_ _  
_ But why? Lotor owed him nothing. He didn’t really know him. He had been nice, he had flirted, but that meant nothing. Who did Lance think he was, someone who could possibly demand a demigod’s attention for himself?   
  
As Lotor himself had said, those not good enough didn’t deserve his time. As for what that meant for Lotor, well… He probably had tons of people all clawing for his time and attention at his disposal. That wasn’t Lance’s case. 

It would be good advice, if following it didn’t mean that Lance would end up alone. 

* * *

“You built a wall? Really?” Lance asked, staring at the pillows strategically placed in the middle of the bed, splitting it in half. 

Keith cringed. “Um… Yeah. It’s stupid, I guess,” he said, laughing shortly before tossing the pillows away in embarrassment. It was childish, Keith wasn’t sure why he’d done it in the first place. He didn’t want to weird Lance out, but ended up doing exactly that anyway. 

Lance didn’t smile, and Keith was pretty sure he had not done that at all since they left the club. While he knew nothing of emotions and certainly did not know how to read people, seeing Lance not being either overly cheery or pouty, was too much of a difference not to notice. 

He had a slight suspicion as to why. 

By the time Keith got in bed, it was around three am. The bathroom door was ajar, and he saw Lance by the sink, still doing various skincare stuff. Keith couldn’t grasp it, but Lance’s skin was pretty nice… So it must be effective?

Once Lance was done, he dimmed the lights and crawled into his side on the bed. While the night sky was dark, the neon lights from the city shined through the windows, brightening the room. 

Keith was still wide awake. He thought that at least after staying out in a nightclub he’d be tired for once, but his insomnia did not care. On top of that, the presence of another person next to him threw him off. He felt weird, like he couldn’t move and had to stare into the ceiling not to make things awkward.

“... Keith?” 

He immediately got nervous. Yet, Lance’s voice was soft, and when Keith turned to look at him, he was facing him curled up with a pillow in his hands. It made him look younger in a way. And vulnerable. 

Keith cleared his throat. “Yeah?” 

“Why shouldn’t Lotor be trusted?” The question was candid. There was no snarkiness to it, not even a certain tone. Keith assumed it was because Lance already knew the answer, from whatever had happened that night. 

“Well…” He chewed the inside of his cheek. “It’s not that he did anything bad to me personally. He is generally obnoxious, but so is like… everyone else.” 

Lance raised an eyebrow. “What did he do then?” 

Keith sighed. “I had a friend in the academy. She’s not an active mage anymore, but… Anyway, she knew Lotor pretty well. Considered him a friend, and I don’t know, something more, maybe. She liked him a lot, and trusted him.”

“Oh.” 

“Long story short, she got her heart broken.”

Lance smiled weakly. “I see.”

They stayed quiet for a while, but both were wide awake. 

Some of the awkwardness from before had ebbed off, but still, the silence made Keith squirm. He kept shifting his glance from the ceiling to Lance in the corner of his eye. 

“So… Did something happen, or?” 

Lance stirred a little. “Not really… Lotor is nice. Daringly kind, even. Says sweet things.  _ Very _ sweet things.” 

The conviction in his voice gradually disappeared. 

“I suppose someone like him doesn’t want to be tethered to anyone in particular. Being half deity and all... ”

Had Keith not been able to notice the sadness in his voice, he would’ve said something like “I told you so,” or “What did you expect?” 

But he couldn’t. 

“He does as he wants. Without the guilt or second thoughts we usually have, well, some of us have,” Keith said instead. 

“Comes with fame, huh?” Lance looked directly at him, but with no resentment, only a slight smirk. 

“Uhm… Maybe.” 

Lance was about to turn around, signaling the end of their conversation, and Keith quickly intercepted. 

“Uh… I saw you dancing and stuff,” Keith started. 

“Admiring the show?”

He immediately felt warmth rise to his cheeks. “No- I mean- yes, but..Your magic, it was…” 

Lance raised his brows. 

“Good.” 

“... Good? I didn’t do a whole lot.” 

“Well you,” Keith took a breath. “You’ve gained a lot of control. Fluid movements. And um… You’ve really proved me wrong since, you know, our first conversation.” 

Lance smiled coyly. “Thanks… But hold on to those words for a bit. I’ve only just gotten started,” he said, smiling brightly.

Keith felt like his chest was set on fire. He wasn’t sure why, if it was anticipation of a possible fight, admiration of his confidence, or something else entirely. 

All he knew was that he liked Lance’s ambition, and regretted ever doubting it. 

“I’m looking forward to it.” 

As the clock was nearing four in the morning, Lance yawned into his pillow. He slipped on a sleeping mask of blue silk, embroidered with eyelashes. Keith smiled wider, knowing Lance could not see him. Did anyone  _ actually _ use those unironically? 

“Night, Keith. Sleep tight,” Lance said in a cheery mumble. 

“You too.”

At first, Keith had thought he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep at all. He was pretty sure Lance was asleep, although he didn’t snore. Instead he breathed heavily, muffled by the comforter which he had all the way up to his face. 

In a strange way, it wasn’t even annoying to listen to. In an otherwise unknown environment, having a constant sound like that was grounding. Keith had always told himself he was not a people-person. He was a lone wolf, he didn’t need constant reassurance from others, and always did things his own way. 

He didn’t think he needed someone to live a fulfilling life. Well, living a fulfilling life was something he had given up on a long time ago. But there was something about a person next to him, or maybe  _ the _ person next to him, that introduced a feeling he hadn’t really felt before. 

… Loneliness? It didn’t make much sense. How could someone’s company make you realize you’re lonely? 

As Keith’s mind kept jumping from thought to thought, fleeting like gusts of wind, outside it started to rain. It tapped against the large windows, starting calmly before growing into a steady, rhythmic drumming. 

Keith felt his eyelids getting heavier by the minute, and finally let his eyes fully close. 

* * *

Waking up had never been more confusing. Lance’s sleeping mask was halfway off, and when he removed it, it still felt sort of dark. Outside the sky was almost dark gray and it was raining heavily. 

A fitting sombre weather for Lance’s pounding headache. Ugh, he needed some water… Scratch that, he needed coffee. 

While Lance was coming to his senses and remembered where he was exactly, the sleeping body next to him took him completely by surprise. 

Keith. For a short minute Lance entered his past self, the one with a huge crush on his former idol. Oh man, if past Lance would know he’d share a bed with Keith Kogane in the future… Too bad Lance’s perception of him had changed. Well… 

_ Objectively, _ Keith was still attractive as fuck. Lance could admit that, and he could also admit that it didn’t mean anything. Personality always prevailed over looks, and Keith had been lacking in the personality department. Then again, their talk the previous night had been surprisingly nice… 

Lance wanted to look away, but couldn’t. He had apparently hogged the comforter for himself the entire night, leaving Keith with nothing. Keith’s oversized t-shirt had ridden up in his sleep, exposing a toned, chiseled stomach underneath… 

_ Oh, Terra, _ get it together Lance!

He was just touch-starved, and sad after seeing Lotor make out with that guy. The thought left a sour taste in his mouth. He needed to stop caring. Lance wasn’t dating him, he barely knew him. Lotor could flirt all he wanted, it wouldn’t change the situation. 

Lance didn’t need to date anyone, he didn’t need to have crushes, he didn’t even need to think about guys or girls at all! 

He’d take a page out of Keith’s book and marry his own magic instead. He still had a long way to go and couldn’t start slacking now. 

Lance turned around, and forced himself out of bed. When he checked his phone, it was 12 in the afternoon. He sighed, regretting sleeping half the day away. But honestly, he’d prefer relaxing inside and watching the rain. 

Keith slept for a while longer, but when Lance started making noise and went through his morning routine in the bathroom, he was slowly stirring to life. 

“Morning,” Lance said, starting up the coffee machine. 

He got a low rumble in reply, vaguely resembling a similar greeting. As he sat up, his hair was sticking out to all sides. Lance smiled to himself, and he silently thanked the gods for letting him wake up before Keith. If Keith became witness to Lance’s own unruly cowlick in the morning, his life would be over.

“Want some coffee?” Lance asked, holding out a cup.

Keith’s eyes lit up. “... You didn’t have to make me any.” 

“I was making some for myself too. All I did was push a button, so no biggie.” 

Keith walked up to him, taking the cup. “Thanks anyway, it’s a, um, nice gesture.” 

From Lance’s younger days in school and the academy, when he put partying and socializing above performing in school, he’d often end up on some couch or the same bed as friends and strangers. The atmosphere was almost always similar, depending on where and with whom he was. The air felt strange, everyone was hungover, the realization of the previous night's events always made it awkward, and you either slept until noon or ran first thing in the morning. 

Lance had halfway expecting to feel the same things that morning with Keith, c onsidering he didn’t take Keith for someone too keen on deep conversations in the night. And maybe Lance felt a little embarrassed. Embarrassed for being vulnerable about Lotor, and ultimately, his insecurities. But if Keith found it stupid, he didn’t let it show.

Lance was grateful for that. 

Instead, the atmosphere in the hotel room was nice and easy. They didn’t talk much, but it wasn’t awkward. They simply sat in the bed with their coffee cups in hand, lazily gazing outside while listening to the rain that gradually turned into a storm. It wasn’t until lightning suddenly struck, shortly followed by the billowing sound of thunder, that they spoke up. 

“Holy...” Lance commented, seeing flashes of blue and purple across the dark clouds. “Been a while since I’ve seen lightning that intense…”

Keith’s brows furrowed. “Tonitrus must be upset.”

When lightning continued to strike, it was clear that Keith was right. 

“That’s pretty close, isn’t it?” Lance asked, listening to the thunder come directly after another flash. 

“It’s in the city.” 

Lance got up. From the window he had a good view of large parts of the city. On the east side of town, he saw thick smoke starting to rise. 

“Could you turn on the hologram?” Lance asked, still looking at the smoke. 

Keith did as he asked, and shortly heard the voice of a news reporter. 

_ “Lightning has struck several buildings on Gloria Avenue, the street in Xedus known for the city’s best restaurants and nightlife attractions. Several of them are on fire, and only Daibazaal, the famous club owned by demigod Lotor, is untouched at the moment. Firefighters are working hard with putting out the fires, and the buildings have all been evacuated,”  _ the reporter said. 

Lance watched the hologram, and saw him standing in front of the same club they had been to. The buildings next to it were on fire, but it had not spread to the club. 

“That’s… freaky,” Lance said, feeling his heart start to pound. 

Keith crossed his arms. “Definitely not a coincidence. I’m pretty sure Lotor is directly tied to Tonitrus in some way. He has his element.” 

“... Seriously? I’ve never seen him use it.” 

“It happens on rare occasions. I saw him use it in the academy once, years ago. Not many people can harbour electromagic, and for good reason. No human facing Lotor would stand a chance,” Keith explained. 

“So… Tonitrus is upset with Lotor? But why is his club unscathed?” 

“Gods don’t kill their own offspring. This is a warning.” 

Lance felt his heart sink, and he shivered, as if a ghost passed through him. “Because he’s agreed to aid us.”

“Most likely…” Keith rubbed his forehead. “But why haven’t  _ we  _ been warned? It’s our mission.” 

That was a good question. Lance had been so scared that the gods would find out about their plan, and make them targets. 

Suddenly their door sprung open, and Lance, already terrified, could not help but scream.

“WHAT THE HELL?!” He yelled, when he saw Pidge and Hunk standing in the doorway. 

Pidge let out a relieved breath. “Thank Terra they weren’t doing something inappropriate…”

Lance felt his cheeks burn. “Excuse me?!”

Hunk laughed nervously. “Okay, let’s forget about that. Do you know about the lightning strikes?” he asked, and his eyes landed on the hologram on the wall. 

Keith nodded. “Tonitrus is warning Lotor.” 

“And we’re gonna be next, we aren’t even untouchable demigods!” Lance said in dismay, falling on the bed. 

“Actually-” Pidge intercepted. “There is no reason for us to be targeted. Technically, we haven’t done anything yet. The gods might cause disasters, but usually as a result of humans as a group doing something. They don’t try to kill people, unless they’ve done something terrible. We’re just measly humans, they don’t pay us attention.” 

“To a certain degree, that’s true. But they granted us magic, mages are not invisible or powerless in their eyes,” Keith said.

“Things might turn around when we actually start using our magic against them in some way…” Hunk contemplated. 

Lance still felt terrified. Obviously when the gods were warning Lotor, they knew of their plan. They would be watching their every move, and once they stepped the line - He couldn’t even visualize the terror they could unleash. 

“Well…” Keith sighed. “We knew the risks. No use running away now.” 

Lance heard a buzz on the nightstand. He picked up his phone, and opened a text. 

_ Lotor: Morning, sweetheart. Come to my house, bring your crew. _

He felt a sting of annoyance at the usage of sweetheart. Whatever... 

“Lotor is summoning us,” Lance said in defeat. “He’ll probably go back on our deal.” 

Keith got up from the bed, and grabbed his coat. “Then let’s go and convince him otherwise. I’m sure Lance’s charm will fix it…” Then Lance saw the realization dawning on Keith’s face. “... Or maybe not.” He glanced at Lance, a gleam in his eye. “I’ll just intimidate him instead.” 

Lance smirked. “I’d love to see that.” 

* * *

The lightning had stopped, but the storm still did not cease. The wind and rain hammered against the windshield of the taxi as they drove towards Lotor’s mansion.

“Why didn’t they just target Lotor’s neighbourhood instead?” Hunk asked. They were in front of the gate, which this time opened automatically. Lotor was expecting them. 

“Not public enough. The gods don’t do anything without showing off,” Keith answered. 

“They love striking fear into the general public, that’s for sure,” Pidge mumbled. 

They quickly left the car, and jogged towards the entrance. Even being outside for just a couple of seconds was enough to get them drenched. Once at the door, Keith didn’t bother knocking, and went straight in. 

Lotor was in the living room, sipping on a glass of red wine. Of course he didn’t seem bothered at all. 

“Welcome, friends. Enjoying the weather?” He asked, smiling. 

“I was gonna ask you the same thing. An entire street on fire, yet your club is untouched. Lucky,” Keith said. 

Lotor raised his brows. “Truly a miracle,” he said, voice dripping with irony. “How much easier wouldn’t it be if gods could simply use their words, and not passive-aggressively set things on fire to prove a point?” 

“So have they proven a point?” 

Lotor put his glass down, the clink echoing through the room. “No.” 

“They do seem upset with you, though,” Keith said. 

The careless smile on Lotor’s face said it all. “If they have a problem with me, they will have to put more effort into putting me in my place. Sometimes it’s as if I’m a stranger to them,” he said, sighing dramatically. 

He probably was. A demigod was simply a byproduct, and Lotor a useless one at that. There were several demigods in Terra, some definitely more humble and lowkey than Lotor, and some much more religious. Some presented themselves as emissaries on behalf of the gods, doing all they could to strengthen a god’s image, or reinforce their superiority over humankind. 

There was a wide spectrum of how demigods operated when it came to religion, but Lotor was one of the ones just falling off the scale completely. He did not care how people perceived him, and he definitely did not care how people perceived the gods. In fact, he seemed to relish in humanity’s increasing distrust of them. 

You could argue whether or not that made him one of the more reasonable demigods, but Keith suspected it was just Lotor’s own god complex. He wasn’t just superior to humans, he also perceived himself to be on the same level of a god, if not above. 

“I will still help you on your mission. Unless you are having second thoughts?” His gazed roamed the bunch, lingering by Lance, who crossed his arms. 

“We’re still doing this,” Lance answered, although rather weakly. He was nervous, Keith could tell. All of them were. Keith would probably be too, if he didn’t have complete disregard for his own life. 

Lotor’s eyes narrowed. “No shame in backing down. Sometimes, living comfortable under a terrifying regime is desired, when the other option is too uncertain. There’s nothing wrong with wanting safety and comfort.” His gaze was still locked to Lance. 

What was he trying to do? Make him crack under pressure? 

Lance still stood tall. “... We  _ are _ doing this. Honestly, I’d feel a whole lot safer knowing my friends and family wouldn’t suddenly be swept away by a tsunami, or be ambushed by mutants. So if withstanding a little pain or mental anguish is necessary, then so be it.” 

Lotor sighed, and leaned against the wall in defeat. “Well, then… I suppose I can’t make you change your mind. But if this ends badly, I may be too powerless to save you.”

While this concerned all of them, it was clear that Lotor thought of Lance. He had taken a liking to him, Keith, Pidge and Hunk mattered little in Lotor’s bubble. But, Keith did not doubt at all that Lotor would save his own skin if it came to it, even at the expense of Lance. After all, as he had proven at the club, Lotor did as he wished with who he wanted. 

Lance was only a passing thing in Lotor’s long life. Despite Keith knowing Lotor’s true nature, he couldn’t find it in him to blame Lance for the infatuation he had with him. It was something about the vulnerable mood last night that made Keith wish Lance hadn’t seen Lotor with the other guy. 

But he finally stopped pestering Keith about why he talked badly about him, so shouldn’t it have been a good thing? Even then, he did not feel satisfied for proving a point. 

“You don’t need to save us. All we need is cooperation. That’s where our relations on this mission begins, and ends,” Lance said, completely deadpan. 

Keith’s eyes widened, as did Lotor’s. 

_ Holy…  _ Lance was stone cold. 

“Ah…” Lotor’s lips turned into a thin, tight line. “I see. Have I misunderstood your character?” 

Lance’s eyebrow twitched. “We’re only acquaintances, keeping it professional. Hardly much to misunderstand.” 

Keith could not help but smile. He turned his head down, hiding it from the others. Lance’s charm had basically been rolling off his tongue naturally ever since they met Lotor, and now it was replaced with a thick concrete wall. 

Sure, Keith had seen Lance’s rather unforgiving side, being at the receiving end of it himself. But this, Keith could imagine was worse. Lotor got what he wanted, who he wanted, and rejection was an unknown word to him. That was until Lance “keep it professional” McClain introduced it to him. 

“So um... What’s next? Now that this is officially, uh, professional business?” Hunk asked, interfering with the tension growing between Lance and Lotor. 

_ Thank Terra,  _ Keith could’ve burst into laughter any minute. 

Lotor uncrossed his arms, and started walking down the hallway. “Follow me,” he said, lazily waving them over. They had never seen the rest of his house, only having stayed in his living room, but naturally, the mansion was huge and the hallways were long.

Eventually, they reached the end of it, and Lotor swung open a creaky door. He held it open, signaling for them to pass through. 

Lance was first in line, and watched the descending staircase with a suspicious gaze.

“Is that the basement?” he asked. 

“Yes.”

“... It’s dark.”   


Lotor flicked a light switch on the wall, and a dusty, dim lamp came to life after flickering a few times. It was a huge contrast to the chandeliers and neon lights hanging around elsewhere in the house. 

“Now it’s not.” 

Lance still did not move. “Not the most welcoming place to bring guests,” he mumbled. 

“As we are  _ acquaintances, _ I thought it would be fine. Relax, it’s not a dungeon and I’m not locking you inside, however tempting it may be.” 

_ Huh, _ Lance really got to him. Lotor’s salt could fill an ocean. 

“It’s just a basement, Lance,” Pidge complained. 

“Alright, alright!” 

Finally, he started walking down the stairs. Keith was the last one to go through the door, followed by Lotor. Okay, he didn’t  _ completely  _ blame Lance for being paranoid, seeing Lotor’s irritated glance did give him the certain impression that he would shut the door as soon as Keith was in. 

But, Lotor followed them, and the door was simply shut, not locked.

It was obvious this part of the basement was something Lotor did not use, nor cared about. The dust had settled in thick layers, the corners were full with cobwebs, and the few electric lamps actually looked ancient, and only half of them were working. Lotor must’ve been there a long time, if that was the case. Nobody really knew the length of a demigod’s life, but he’d been around a whole lot longer than any of them. 

When they reached the bottom of the staircase, most of the space was filled up with boxes, containers, shelves, wardrobes and chests. Lotor approached another door, this one wooden with metal accents that were rusty. Even if Lotor didn’t say so, it certainly did look like the door of a dungeon. 

He even had to use a key to open it, a brass one that he pulled out from his pocket. 

“I hope you’re not keeping skeletons in there,” Lance commented. 

“Only skeletons here would be from mice or rats. Everything in this room is trash, really, but you might find something useful. I won’t help you look though.” 

If it was trash, Lotor wouldn’t keep the room locked. Was he afraid someone would get in? Or that something would get out? 

Either way, in this day and age, a rotten door and busted up lock would be useless against thieves, so it wasn’t the material value of its contents he was worried about.

The door was opened, and the look of the room wasn’t much different from the rest of the basement. The floor and walls were of stone, it was dark, and had no source of light. They all squinted to see. 

Keith felt his finger warm up, and soon there was a small flame on the tip of it, illuminating a small area in front of them. 

“Convenient, but be careful with that. The things in here are highly flammable. Then again… Maybe it wouldn’t be the end of the world if the whole place was set ablaze…” Lotor wondered. 

As soon as they had entered the room and started looking around, Lotor turned on his heels. “Well then! Happy hunting. I’ll be upstairs.” 

Before they could ask any questions, he was gone. 

Lance stared after him. “He - He’s not gonna help?” 

Keith raised his shoulders. “Fine by me. As long as what we need is here…” He walked around the room, lighting various candles standing on a writing desk and by a bed. 

“Think he lived here, before?” Hunk asked, poking the bed with his finger. It smelled musty, and if it had ever been used, it would’ve been a long time ago. 

“Why would he though?” Lance asked, starting to go through drawers, making faces in anticipation at what he would find. 

“It’s almost like a fallout shelter. Just,  _ super  _ old,” Pidge said. “What are we looking for, exactly?” she asked. 

“Well, it has to be something that can either help us communicate with, or confront the gods. It’s obvious he doesn’t care about them, so he considers the things here trash. Look for anything that could have a connection to them. Gadgets, symbols, books…” 

Keith started looking through bookshelves. It was completely packed with books and parchment pressed against each other tightly. The writing on the backs was faded and hard to read, making their job much harder. 

“This is signed with Lotor’s name,” Lance said, showing them a piece of paper. It was yellowed and crinkly, and some of the writing was unintelligble. But he was right, on the bottom of the page, you could clearly read  _ “Lotor Seraphinus” _ . 

“... Seraphinus?” Hunk asked. 

Pidge frowned. “Is that his family name? Didn’t even know demigods had those.” 

“Well… Where do they even come from? From thin air?” Lance asked. 

Keith shook his name. “Demigods can’t be created from nothing. It needs a vessel, a conduit.”

Lance looked at him with questioning eyes. 

“A mother, to carry them into the world,” Keith explained. 

“That does make sense... “ Lance glared at the parchment, trying to make out the words. 

“This is weird. It doesn’t feel like he wrote these words. Maybe he was going through his angsty teenage phase. Y’know, the one Keith is still in?” He said, earning a glare from Keith. 

Hunk and Pidge gathered around, and they read the letter together. 

_ This world is damned,  _ **_damned_ ** _ be all in it… My mo- turning in her -ave.  _

_ I ho- it all burns, the gods with their dollhou- they can all dis-grate.  _ **_Nothing but bloodshed!_ ** _ They will call me traitor- they betrayed me.  _

Some segments were completely faded or botched with ink, impossible to read. But, from the little they had, it was clear there was a lot of emotion behind it. 

“Wow, that… Really doesn’t seem like Lotor. I think the most I’ve seen him mad, was Lance friendzoning him. Or, acquaintance-zoning?” Hunk said.

“He friendzoned me, making out with a stripper in front of my face yesterday! I do, in fact, have standards,” Lance said, crossing his arms. 

Pidge whistled. “So  _ that’s  _ why you turned cold on him, I was wondering why you weren’t kissing his feet today…”

Lance rolled his eyes. “Okay, can we please get back on track? Let’s find whatever it is we need to find, and move on.”

They kept rummaging through the drawers, and after skimming through some books on the shelf, Keith tried looking elsewhere. But the room was small and there were not many containers to even search in. 

“He agreed to help us, but why would he just leave us here when there’s nothing to find?” Hunk asked. “Should we go ask him?” 

Keith tapped his chin. “If it would be hard to find, he would’ve said so. Maybe it’s something obvious…” 

He scanned the room. Besides the bookcase, bed and desk, there was a small wardrobe, but Hunk had already gone through that. There was nothing coming from the ceiling. The walls were plain, except for a couple of sketches and documents pinned up, and a… Curtain? Drape? Blanket? 

It was ugly and brown, and flimsy at the edges with loose threads. Keith approached it, carefully sizing it up and down. 

“There wouldn’t be a window in the basement, would there...” he wondered aloud. 

Lance walked up next to him, and cocked his head to the side. “Maybe it’s an art piece?” 

“Guess we’ll see.” 

Keith grabbed the fabric, and without second thought, he tore it off the wall.

He nearly jumped when he saw what he had uncovered. 

His own reflection. 

“Oh. It’s just a mirror,” Lance said. They were all in the reflection, only illuminated by candlelight. 

Keith frowned. “If it’s just a mirror, why is it covered up?” 

Lance stared at him with a raised brow. “To keep dust off it! Let’s face it, Lotor is just tormenting us. It’s a freaking mirror, it’s even cracked!” 

It  _ was  _ cracked. There were faint lines engraved in it, spreading out from the middle. But if it was cracked, how could it be whole? Unless it had been repaired…

Hunk let out a nervous whine. “You know what they say about broken mirrors…” 

Pidge crossed her arms. “That’s pure superstition.” 

“Well,  _ magic  _ is a thing! And now we’re gonna be cursed!” 

Keith reached out for the mirror, touching one of the cracks. He could feel the difference of texture passing over it with his finger. It had definitely been glued together. 

“Don’t touch it,” Lance said quietly. 

“What happened to ‘it’s just a mirror’, huh?” Keith asked, still not removing his hand. 

“I changed my mind... There’s something watching us,” he whispered, and Keith was thrown aback at the chillness of his voice. Keith lifted his gaze, first seeing Lance’s terrified expression in the mirror. 

And then, the shadow.

It looked like purple smoke, with yellow, piercing eyes. And it was situated right behind Keith. 

He jumped, quickly turning around. 

They were alone. There was no one there. 

He turned back, feeling the hairs on his arms stand up. The shadow was still in the mirror. 

“Cover it up!” Hunk uttered in a shaky voice, and chaos was unleashed. 

As they all started to scream, Keith hurriedly covered the mirror with the curtain again. Lance was already out the door, followed by Hunk. 

“Let’s go!” Pidge yelled to Keith as he lingered. 

Keith was breathing heavily, still feeling an intense chill go down his neck. 

He was about to leave, but turned around last second. He grabbed the covered mirror, taking it off the wall. 

“Keith?!” Pidge’s eyes were wide and terrified. 

“It’s what we came for!” 

Pidge clutched her forehead and started muttering. “We’re fucking doomed, we’re so dead, holy shit, we’re doomed…” 

They made their way up, exiting the basement and walking briskly through the hallway. They heard Lance yelling halfway there. Once they reached the living room, they saw Lotor sitting on the couch with a wine glass in hand. 

“What the fuck was that?!” Lance yelled. 

Lotor took an agitated breath. His glance crossed Keith and Pidge, and he did a double take, seeing the mirror Keith was carrying. 

He shot up from the couch. 

“Do not bring that  _ thing  _ into my home!” He roared, and clutched the wine glass in his hand to its breaking point. The glass shards fell, and its content pooled out on the floor across the tiles. Some of the wine was brighter in color. Lotor's own blood from the cuts in his hand had mixed with it. 

“Tell us what it is!” Keith demanded. 

Lotor was afraid of it. The minute Keith grabbed the curtain, threatening to pull it off, Lotor’s face went pale as a ghost. 

When Lotor’s gaze met his, Keith did not waver. “You wanted us to find this, right?” 

“... I do not want to be in its vicinity,” he said, trying to somewhat sound calm and collected. 

“Why?” Lance asked. “What was that shadow?!” 

“That… That was a god. Tonitrus, I suspect. You want to communicate with them? There you go, that’s your device.” 

Sweat was running down his forehead now. 

“Now, before you leave and take that monstrosity far, far away from here, here’s a piece of advice...” 

“While it gives you leverage, it makes you incredibly vulnerable. Keep it uncovered for too long, you’ll go mad. And for the love of Terra…” 

Lotor swallowed thickly. 

“ Do  _ not  _ break the mirror.” 

Keith looked at the others. No one said a word, instead the void of silence was filled with rain hammering against the window. Lightning suddenly flashed outside. 

“Now leave! Our deal has been fulfilled,” he yelled, and all of them simultaneously started half-running through the hall towards the exit, Lotor ushering them. 

Keith was clutching the mirror, the thought of it somehow slipping and breaking in the back of his mind. 

“What happens if it breaks?” Keith asked. 

“It would be your defeat”, Lotor grimly said. Without another word, Lotor slammed the front door in front of their faces. 

The rain kept pouring, immediately wetting their clothes. 

“Oh my god. We are so dead,” Hunk said, as they quickly got into the taxi. Keith put the mirror down next to him, in between the seats. 

“We should’ve put it back,” Lance said, glancing at the mirror nervously. The self-driving car started rolling, exiting Lotor’s neighbourhood and going in the direction of the city centre. 

Keith shook his head. “No. He said it was leverage.”   


“It was probably to make us get rid of it for him,” Pidge said. “He was absolutely terrified. And he’s a demigod!” 

Keith’s hands burned. Was it because he touched the mirror, or was he imagining it? No, he itched to use his magic… What happened if he lit the mirror on fire? 

_ Do not break it, do not break it. _

“Keith touched the mirror, so if anything happens, we’ll be fine right? Keith will be the only one in danger?” Lance asked. 

“I don’t think it works like that. That mirror saw all of us.” 

“Awesome. Great!” Lance said in a high-pitched voice. “We are all so dead,” he muttered under his breath. 

“Let’s all calm down, okay? Nothing has happened yet. Let’s just leave it alone until we get to the academy. Allura will know what to do.” 

Or at least, he hoped so. 


End file.
